In the idiom "Fair-weather friend", which option best explains the type of person it describes?

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on the idiom fair weather friend, which is frequently used to describe a particular kind of unreliable relationship. Understanding such idioms is essential for reading comprehension and for answering vocabulary questions in competitive exams. The key idea is to identify how this type of friend behaves, especially when times are difficult.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Idiom: fair weather friend.
• Literal image: a friend who is present only when the weather is fair or pleasant.
• Option A: Honest only when easy and convenient.
• Option B: Truthful only when easy and convenient.
• Option C: Supports only when easy and convenient.
• Option D: Temporary only when easy and convenient.
• We assume the idiom is being tested in its usual figurative sense.

Concept / Approach:
A fair weather friend is someone who acts like a friend only when things are going well, when it is easy and pleasant to be around you. When problems arise, such a person disappears, refuses to help, or stops behaving like a true friend. Therefore, the essential feature is that this person supports you only when it is easy and convenient, but does not stand by you in difficult times. Among the options, this meaning is captured most clearly by supports only when easy and convenient.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember that in idiomatic language, fair weather symbolises good times, while storms or bad weather symbolise difficulties.Step 2: Interpret fair weather friend as a friend who is there only in good times.Step 3: Look for an option that states the friend behaviour in terms of support, presence, or help.Step 4: Option C, supports only when easy and convenient, directly states that this friend offers support only under favourable conditions.Step 5: Options A and B emphasise honesty or truthfulness rather than support, and option D mentions temporary but does not highlight the issue of conditional loyalty. Thus, option C is the best match.

Verification / Alternative check:
Think of typical example sentences: When I lost my job, my fair weather friends stopped calling, but my real friends supported me. Here, the contrast is between those who support only when times are good and those who remain loyal in hardship. No part of this example talks specifically about honesty or truthfulness; it is about presence, help, and loyalty. This confirms that the core idea is conditional support, not conditional honesty.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Honest only when easy and convenient and Truthful only when easy and convenient shift the focus to honesty, which is not the central theme of this idiom. A fair weather friend might be honest or dishonest, but the idiom does not address that; it addresses their unwillingness to stay when life becomes difficult. Temporary only when easy and convenient is vague and does not clearly convey that the person withdraws support in hard times. Therefore, these options fail to capture the main idea.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes over interpret individual words in an idiom instead of considering the whole phrase. They may think fair weather means something about fairness or justice rather than simply pleasant conditions. Remember that English idioms often come from images, such as weather, journeys, or sports. In this case, the picture is of a friend who shares sunshine with you but does not walk beside you when it rains. Thinking in such images helps fix the correct meaning in your mind.

Final Answer:
A fair weather friend is a person who supports only when easy and convenient, so option C is correct.