where does it’s raining cats and dogs come from

Bởi

The phrase is supposed to have originated in England in the 17th century. City streets were then filthy and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Richard Brome’s The City Witt, 1652 has the line ‘It shall rain dogs and polecats’. Also, cats and dogs both have ancient associations with bad weather.

One of the most commonly told theories is that, in 1500s England, back when houses had thatched roofs, various animals including pet dogs and cats would live in the roof and when it rained, they would slip off and fall to the ground. This comes from a widely debunked email from the early days of the internet (1999), has no evidence attached to it, and actually makes no sense when you stop to think about it.

Freelance writer of history and humour. Sometimes other stuff. I’ll never use a semicolon and you can’t make me. Click this: https://therpg. medium. com/subscribe.

Alright, let’s lay it out there: there isn’t a clear-cut explanation for the origin of this expression, but some of those “explanations” are worth investigating.

Jonathan Swift satirized the conversations of the upper classes in his 1738 publication, “Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation.” A character in his work expresses fear that it will “rain cats and dogs.” Swift’s satire probably started the phrase’s rise in popularity, regardless of whether he invented it or was just using a cliche. Other British writers have described the shaft-like appearance of heavy rains with less common expressions like “it’s raining pitchforks” or “it’s raining stair-rods.” However, Swift’s remark might have been memorable enough for people to remember it.

A phrase like “raining cats and dogs” was first used in the 1651 poetry collection Olor Iscanus. Henry Vaughan, a British poet, described a roof as safe from “dogs and cats rained in showers.” A year later, English playwright Richard Brome predicted in his comedy City Witt that “it shall rain dogs and polecats.” (Polecats, who are related to weasels, were widespread in Great Britain until the late 1800s.) ).

Swift also depicted floods that followed torrential rains in his poem “City Shower” (1710). Because of the dead animals left in the streets by the floods, locals may have said that it was “raining cats and dogs” outside. ”.

We don’t know. The expression may have originated from medieval superstitions, Norse mythology, the now-obsolete word catadupe (waterfall), or storm waters carrying dead animals through British streets.

FAQ

Where did the saying raining cats and dogs originate?

The phrase might have its roots in Norse mythology, medieval superstitions, the obsolete word catadupe (waterfall), or dead animals in the streets of Britain being picked up by storm waters. The first recorded use of a phrase similar to “raining cats and dogs” was in the 1651 collection of poems Olor Iscanus.

Who created it’s raining cats and dogs?

The first record of the phrase being used was in 1651 by British poet Henry Vaughan. Who wrote a collection of poems titled Olor Iscanus. In the poems, he referred to a roof that was secure against, “dogs and cats rained in shower.” In 1652, a British playwright named Richard Brome wrote the comedy play Citty Witt.

What is the idiom of it’s raining cats and dogs?

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs means: A heavy downpour, rain coming down very quickly and hard. Example of use: “There’s no way they’ll be playing at the park, it’s raining cats and dogs out there!”

Is the phrase it’s raining cats and dogs a metaphor?

Answer and Explanation: The statement “It’s raining cats and dogs” is not a metaphor, which is a comparison of two unlike things. Instead, the phrase is an idiom, which is an expression which taken on a completely different meaning than what it says literally.