# rafter snapper

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rafter-snapper
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A very cold night.

## Examples

- It is a real rafter snapper tonight.
- We need to bring the plants inside because it is going to be a rafter snapper.
- The old farmhouse groaned under the pressure of the wind during what proved to be a genuine rafter snapper of a night.

## Origin

The term originates in the state of Maine, where the wooden planks and beams of residential dwellings contract during periods of extreme cold. On such nights, the structural timber produces distinct snapping sounds, a terrestrial phenomenon the inhabitants of Maine eventually condensed into the idiom.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.