ProverbChallengeEnglish origin1639

A Scotch mist will wet an Englishman through to the skin.

Meaning: Light drizzle, when underestimated, soaks you more thoroughly than dramatic downpours because you're unprepared.

Origin: A Scotch mist is a thick, drizzling Highland fog that seems too light to matter but soaks anyone caught in it. John Clarke's proverb collection of 1639 has it, and Thomas Fuller explained in 1662 that small mischiefs, if not stopped early, may prove very dangerous.

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