Any discussion of English conversation, like any English conversation, must begin with the weather. ... Everyone knows, for example, that 'Nice day, isn't it?', 'Ooh, isn't it cold?", 'Still raining, eh?' and other variations on the theme are not requests for weather information: they are ritual greetings or conversation-starters.
――熊本県立大学 前期日程/文学部(2月25日実施)――2006年