What Does Raining Cats & Dogs Mean? Pet Idioms Explained

If you’ve heard the expression, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” you may wonder what it means. Rest assured that it has nothing to do with real cats and dogs falling out of the sky! It’s an idiomatic expression used to describe the weather situation when rain is absolutely pouring down from the sky. Keep reading to learn about the history and use of this odd phrase.

Where Did "It’s Raining Cats and Dogs" Come From?

No one knows! Some suggest that it could be linked to Norse mythology, in which the god of storms, Odin, had a special relationship with dogs and wolves. Witches are also associated with storms and cats. The two concepts may have somehow combined to describe the weather when it’s stormy.

There’s a suggestion that it could be related to the dead animals in the streets after heavy rainstorms in 18th-century London, as Jonathan Swift describes in his 1710 poem, “City Shower.” Others argue that it’s linked to an ancient Greek word for Nile cataracts, κατάδουποι or catadupoi, which was adopted into Latin as catadupa, which in turn, became the Old English word, catadupe, or waterfall. This could be interpreted as meaning, “It’s raining waterfalls.”

There’s also a theory that the idiom could come from the Greek phrase, κατα δόξα or cata doxa, interpreted as meaning “beyond belief,” in that rain is so heavy, it can already be believed.

Does Anyone Know When the Phrase Was First Used?

The first known use of a similar phrase occurred in 1651 when British poet Henry Vaughn included it in his "Olor Iscanus" poetry collection. The phrase described a sturdy roof that could withstand heavy storms.

A similar phrase, “It shall rain dogs and polecats,” appeared in Richard Brome’s 1652 comedy, "City Witt." Polecats are small mammals that resemble ferrets and weasels. But the first use of the idiom as we know it today occurred in 1738, when a character in Jonathan Swift’s satire, “A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation,” worried that it would “rain cats and dogs.”

Do People Still Use the Phrase?

The phrase is still commonly used in the United States to describe heavy rainstorms, but the Cambridge English Learner’s Dictionary tags it as old-fashioned. “It’s pouring outside” is a common alternative.

Conclusion

The phrase, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” describes a serious downpour, often with lots of wind. Its origins are largely unknown, but there are suggestions that it’s related to Norse mythology and superstitions regarding witches. Others argue that it’s linked to the ancient Greek phrase, kata doxa, which is translated to mean beyond belief. Similar expressions began to be used in England in the middle of the 17th century. However, the idiom as we know it today first appeared as a complete phrase in a 1738 Jonathan Swift poem.

• See Also: Why Are Dogs Called Fido?

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