Saturday, May 29, 2010

#149 bise

bise- a cold dry northerly wind in Switzerland and the neighbouring parts of France and Italy, usually in the spring

- C14 from Old French, of Germanic origin; compare Old Swedish bisa- whirlwind

A wind called the bise had been blowing for the last twenty-four hours, and when we left Vevey the gale was so strong, that the steam-boat had great difficulty in getting ahead.

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