Nightly "What is the origin of that phrase?"

[caledesi]

Folks, tonight (I am a little late, crucify me) the phrase or expression is "Indian Summer." Just what did this originate from?

No googling, search engines, books etc. <you know the rules>

Congratulations to no one. Yes, there were no winners in my last post. Maybe you are getting bored.

Winner of contest tonight wins a free trip to England (one-way) to protest *.

[Rowdyboy]

1. No, not tired

Just guessed wrong last night.

[dreissig]

2. It Stays Hot in Oklahoma

New York writers described unseasonably warm Fall weather as being like the weather in Oklahoma, "Indian country". Thus, warm weather in the Fall was called "Indian summer".

[Robb]

3. Does it come from

The annoying phrase "Indian giver"? You get something, but the giver takes it back?

In other words, you get a little "Indian Summer" right after you think winter has begun, and you go -- "Ahh! Summer weather!"

...And then it gets all gloomy again. And you go -- "Curses!"

:shrug:

[caledesi]

4. Hint: It has to do with security of the colonists. Anybody?

[caledesi]

5. Time is up. The origin of "Indian Sumnmer"

The early English-speaking colonists got into the habit of using `Indian' as a modifier to label something which was somewhat similar to something they had known in England but not identical. So, for example, the new cereal maize was was dubbed 'Indian corn' (the word `corn' at the time meant only `grain' in English, or sometimes more specifically `wheat'), and a certain herbal beverage was named `Indian tea'. Because of this, the modifier `Indian' acquired a secondary sense of `false', `pseudo-'. Hence an unseasonable period of warm weather in the autumn was dubbed `Indian summer', meaning `false summer'

[Rowdyboy]

6. Just like how the English use "Dutch"

Dutch ovens are merely pots, dutch treat means pay your own way, and a dutch uncle is a nagging relative. An easy way to make fun of your political opponents by negative association..