Why Do We Say “Cloud Nine”? | Smartest Year Ever (Sep 1, 2025)

Why do we say “on cloud nine”? Gordy dives into the fascinating history of this strange expression, tracing its journey from meteorology to slang dictionaries to jazz, radio, and pop culture. Along the way, you’ll hear about the International Cloud Atlas of 1896, the rise of “cloud seven” and “cloud eight” in early 20th-century slang, and how The Temptations’ hit “Cloud Nine” helped solidify the phrase in everyday language.

This episode of Smartest Year Ever explores how a simple phrase became one of the most popular idioms for happiness—and why nine ended up beating out all the other clouds.

If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of idioms, the language of weather, or how slang drifts into mainstream speech, this episode is for you.

So why cloud nine, and not cloud seven—or thirty-nine? Stick around to find out.

Sources

• Metcalf, A. (2010). OK: The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word. Oxford University Press.
  

• Partridge, E. (Various editions). A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge.
  

• The Phrase Finder. (n.d.). On Cloud Nine. Retrieved from https://www.phrases.org.uk
  

• Online Etymology Dictionary. (n.d.). Cloud Nine. Retrieved from https://www.etymonline.com
  

• Arnold, S. (n.d.). Origin Stories: On Cloud Nine. Retrieved from https://suzannearnold.com
  

#WordOrigins #LanguageHistory #Etymology #DailyFacts #DidYouKnow #idioms #cloud9 

 Music thanks to Zapsplat.