only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

Used as a warning regarding the extreme midday heat in certain places. The expression, believed to be coined by Rudyard Kipling, was popularized as a line in the 1931 song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" Noel Coward, mocking the behavior of the English when in hot countries, especially former colonies of the British Empire. Oh no, everything shuts down around here in the afternoon. It's just too hot! Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

See also: and, dog, Englishman, go, mad, out, sun

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