English Idiom – Raining cats and dogs.
Raining very hard. This expression is said when it is raining very heavily.
There are a number of different theories as to how this idiom originated. The most plausible (and awful) comes from London in the 1700s. At this time London had open sewers. These sewers were also the place to discard of dead animals such as cats and dogs. During heavy rain these sewers would flood and the bodies of discarded cats and dogs would have been washed away. Well, we did warn you it was awful.
The idiom take a rain check is used when you want to politely refuse an invitation, with the implication that you might accept it in the future. The idiom right as rain is used when you are feeling fit and healthy again after some kind of illness.
Example:
- “Don’t forget your brolly when you go outside today. It’s raining cats and dogs!”
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What is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
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Frequently Asked Questions
It means it’s raining very heavily.
Nobody knows for certain. The most repeated (if grim) theory traces it to 1700s London, where heavy rain would flood open sewers and wash away the bodies of dead cats and dogs discarded there.
Yes — it’s one of the best-known English idioms, understood and used across the English-speaking world even though it sounds strange when taken literally.
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