What does 'cloud nine' have to do with happiness?
7 January 2020, 14:04
'I'm on cloud nine' is a common way to describe high levels of happiness. But eight-year-old Elsie asks why the number nine?
Mystery Hour Question
I was reading a book and saw the description 'on cloud nine.' I know it means that they were happy, but why nine and not any other number?
Elsie, via her mother Tracey, Torquay.
Answer
Name: Philip, Woking.
Qualification: He has listened to all seven years of Mystery Hour podcasts.
Answer: There was an international cloud atlas, which registered ten different types of cloud. The ninth type of cloud was the highest, so if you're at the highest level of happiness, you're on cloud nine.
