|
Reader question: Please explain “false dawn”, as in this: UK recovery is “false dawn” My comments: False dawn refers to the faint light in the early morning night sky, which gives people hope that the sun is rising and the day, after a long night, is come. But only false hope. In the example from the top, when UK recovery is described as a “false dawn”, the British economy is showing signs of recovery, but these are only sporadic and temporary. A full recovery across the board, i.e. in every area of the economy is not yet seen. In other words, stagnation will continue for some time. Back to definitions. False dawn is a natural phenomenon. The faint light in the early morning night sky is caused by sunlight scattered by space dust. This light is usually seen about an hour before sunrise – even though it’s so faint that it’s visible only on a moonless night – hence giving rise to the figurative expression false dawn, a promising sign that comes to nothing. In other words, false dawn represents premature hope that you’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel. In plain words, you think that the worst is over, or that you’re finally experiencing success after a period of difficulties. But not yet – The proverbial sunrise is not coming yet, as the real sun is not going to be seen on the horizon for about another hour. | 
