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Use of "good"
Feb 3, 2010 15:56
14 yrs ago
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English term

nose in the wind

English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
As far as I understand, it means just "to smell" or "to trim one's sails to the wind". However, this expression appears in a test:

What does this proverb mean: "he walks with his nose in the wind"
He is very tall
He has to wash himself sometimes
He is very proud
He walks the wrong way

Am I missing something?

Thank you.
Responses
3 +6 nose in the air
4 +5 alert to what the wind may tell you
5 +1 very proud (and arrogant)
3 +2 he is very proud
4 going the wrong way
References
nose in the wind

Discussion

renigaed Jun 21, 2015:
"my head up, and my nose in the wind" is an expression of hope and resolve. I am not beaten. I am not afraid. I am coming by what ever path I see and sense before me. With understanding and courage. It is not a blind charge into the wind.
Around you or through you. Stand or run, it makes no difference. I am coming with everything I have. It is not a suicide charge. It is an expression of overcoming adversity.
It is an expression of resolve with intelligence and determination.
With a side of "here I come".
renigaed Jun 21, 2015:
And "Nose to the wind" does mean on the alert. But it also means "pointed upwind". As in sensing the wind, and moving against it, for an advantage. So "my head up, and my nose to the wind" means you are not charging downwind, where the prey can smell you coming. That's a predator reference. Horses are not predators. Only those that ride them.
renigaed Jun 21, 2015:
The expression is "my head up, and my nose in the wind" It's a horse reference. It has nothing to do with "having your nose in the air". That is a totally different concept, and interesting that so many attributed that to English speakers. It means to look up and clearly see and sense what is in front of you. It about an approach to the future. It's the opposite of having your head down and being defeated.
AND IT IS IN PREPARATION FOR A CHARGE!!!!!!! Into danger or conflict or against enemies. Regardless of the outcome.
"my head up, and my nose in the wind". Let come what may. I'm ready, I understand, and I'm going forward full speed.
That's what it means!
Deborah Workman Feb 4, 2010:
Animals, birds, vehicles, helicopters, planes, etc All of these are said to move somehow "in(to) the wind", but only the ones with feet "walk" and only those with noses can said to walk with their "nose" in the wind (so birds are out), so that leaves non-avian bipeds and quadrupeds. Boostrer, I've not heard the term you ask about used with reference to humans. You seem to assume that the "he" in your text is human. If that is correct, then I think it would be very odd to speak of him as "walking with his nose in the wind". Could he instead be a quadruped of some sort (a dog or a horse, maybe)? If so, then perhaps it's possible that the "nose in the wind" expression might be correct or, as Stephanie's answer proposes, that the author is alluding to animal-like behavior in a human.
Mirra_ Feb 4, 2010:
actually it refers also to boats and helicopters...

Furthermore the quotation from 'jeremiah johnson' is almost ubiquitous in the web
"Del Gue: Which way you headed, Jeremiah?
Jeremiah Johnson: Canada, maybe. I hear there is land there a man has never seen.
Del Gue: Well, keep your nose in the wind, and your eyes along the skyline.
Jeremiah Johnson: I will do that, Del Gue."
Stephanie Ezrol Feb 4, 2010:
@ boostrer: You said, "However, this expression appears in a test:" Is this in a textbook? or a class? at what level? I ask both out of curiosity, and perhaps to get some more insight. If the person who wrote the test is not a native English speaker, the test writer might have confused wind and air. "nose in the wind" gets 421,000 google hits but most refer to animals, some to airplanes, and a few to people.
Deborah Workman Feb 4, 2010:
Agree with John There is no such expression as "he walks with his nose in the wind". It is possible that "he walks with his nose in the air", in which case he is impressed with his own importance. If he walks with his face or head (in)to the wind, he walks directly into the onslaught, into the oncoming force. Boats might head into the wind and and birds face into the wind. I'm not sure why. Dogs, of course, just like to feel the wind in their little faces -- i.e., facing the right wind can be fun. Meanwhile, people who walk with their nose in the air are at risk of being brought down since can't always see where they're going (as another adage says, pride comes before a fall)!
John Detre Feb 3, 2010:
I've never heard the expression "nose in the wind." Are you sure it isn't nose TO the wind? Nose to the wind has the meaning Stephanie has defined, "on the alert."

Responses

+6
4 mins
Selected

nose in the air

perhaps this is the intended proverb.
which would mean he is excessively proud and full of himself
Note from asker:
I thought the same, but could find any context supporting this meaning neither in BNC, nor in Google . Maybe, you are right; however, I'll wait for some native English speakers to confirm.
Peer comment(s):
agree Federica Masante : yes, I think you're on the right track there. Turning one's nose up also springs to mind.
1 min
thank you
agree Kim Metzger
2 mins
thank you
agree JH Trads
14 mins
thank you
agree Rolf Keiser
1 hr
thank you
agree Annett Kottek (X) : I think so, too.
2 hrs
thank you
agree Deborah Workman : Yes. There is no proverb/idiom "walk with his nose in the wind".
10 hrs
thank you
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Your answer was the first and the completely correct. Thank you a lot!"
+2
5 mins

he is very proud

I think the phrase is the same as "with one's nose in the air".
Peer comment(s):
agree Deborah Workman : es. There is no proverb/idiom "walk with his nose in the wind".
10 hrs
Thank you Deborah.
agree Gary D : Confident, Having a marked air of confidence or assurance . Ok had a huge amount of work and worry, divorce and other things..
1 day 19 hrs
Thank you Gary, it's been quite some time, and how are you?
Something went wrong...
+1
9 mins

very proud (and arrogant)

Of course it has nothing to do with the wind; it is a matter of posture. When one looks down at people, one keeps the head back as if wanting to keep the nostrils to the wind.
Peer comment(s):
agree Deborah Workman : es. There is no proverb/idiom "walk with his nose in the wind".
10 hrs
Something went wrong...
+5
50 mins

alert to what the wind may tell you

"nose in the wind,"seems to be used more for animals, who will know what's about to happen, or to come at them, or what they can hunt, by the smell (in the air)(in the wind.)

The term used for a human being then becomes a metaphor for having your senses alert -- to look out.

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Note added at 52 mins (2010-02-03 16:49:21 GMT)
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Nose in the air does mean very proud, nose in the wind is not the same thing. It's more about what you smell in the wind not mere holding the nose up in an arrogant way.
Example sentence:

"Watch when they come in," he said. "The stallions, watch the stallions. Always keep your nose in the wind, boy. Always be on the lookout."

Keeping my nose in the wind turned out to be a good thing, though if you had asked me at the time I would have felt guilty for spending so many hours watching the real experts tossing stuff back and forth.

Reference:

http://www.mississippireview.com/2007/Vol13No4-Oct07/1304-100107-Forrester.html

http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2009/01/who-are-you-and-why-are-you-he.html

Peer comment(s):
agree Melanie Nassar : I agree, nose in the wind is not the same as in the air
42 mins
Thanks Melanie.
agree Shera Lyn Parpia
57 mins
Thanks Shera Lyn.
agree Clauwolf
59 mins
Thanks.
agree Jim Tucker (X) : likely; not "in the air"
21 hrs
agree Ildiko Santana
22 hrs
Thanks.
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

going the wrong way

tricky question!

it's stated is a proverb but it is not! it reminds other sayings (nose in the air) but as matter of fact is different...
so

well, as a proverb, it exists the opposite: 'follow the wind' to mean that the right thing is to relax and follow what life offers you
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&num=30&q="follow...

and here we have 'nose in the wind' that actually means going against the wind, in other words, struggling against life
and if following the wind is right, fighting against it must be wrong
so, my proposal :)

also considering that the other options, to me, has no real sense since 'seem' to echo proverbs but as a matter of fact they are not proverbs.

(anyway I must say that I find really amusing - and tempting - the 3rd option ;D)
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Reference comments

2 hrs
Reference:

nose in the wind

Many interpretations are possible for this phrase; none of which get a mention in your textbook. It’s often also used in a literal way. Of the four options given here, I’d go for ‘proud’, notwithstanding the fact that I only managed to find two examples of this usage online. There’s a very tenuous connection between this saying and water (and maybe the desire to wash?) in the third sentence, which is curious but hardly persuasive:

‘To hold up one's NOSE at anything (****nose in the wind****)’ [p.555]
‪Proverbial language in English drama exclusive of Shakespeare, 1495-1616 By Robert William Dent
http://books.google.com/books?id=oYDMndXNWlUC&pg=PA555&lpg=P...

‘Hardly did he say with an authoritative voice, ****with his nose in the wind****: "Dear children, come and I shall place my hand upon your heads and bless you."
In the first place, children don't like to be touched by strangers.’
http://www.christian-depression.org/cdp/articles/shoes-of-go...

‘it is going to rain when he sees a pig run tout with ****his nose in the wind****’ [p.59]
The complete works of Washington Irving in one volume By Washington Irving
http://books.google.com/books?id=iOVDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA59&lpg=PA...

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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-02-03 18:34:33 GMT)
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I'm sorry, but the final sentence should read 'when he sees a pig run **squeaking about** with his nose in the wind'. I don't know what happened there.
Something went wrong...
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