[Grammar] First Weather

[sevastport]

Hi teachers, I saw this and have a question about it:

--en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki#Plans_for_more_atomic_attacks_on_Japan

" On 10 August, he sent a memorandum to Marshall in which he wrote that 'the next bomb should be ready for delivery on the first suitable weather after 17 or 18 August.' "

The noun "weather" is not countable. The adjective "first" is usually used with countable nouns. So, could "first suitable weather" be not well written?

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher

It's the "first suitable weather', not "first weather". Suitable weather for the delivery might occur several times over a period of months, so the memorandum says that the bomb should be ready for the first occurrence of suitable weather after the 17 or 18 August.

 

[BobK]

:up: ...So the preposition 'on' is wrong. But in the context it's understandable. The memo starts to say 'on the <something>th' and then the writer sees that they mean 'on the [first day when there is] suitable weather...'. A memo is typically not a perfectly polished example of prose. (In fact, for all I know, this use of 'on' may be a recognized feature of Air Force jargon.)

b

 

[Tdol]

Clone of banned user.