It’s raining cats and dogs

It’s raining cats and dogs

One interesting explanation as to the origin of this saying is:

In the early 1500's, majority of houses in Europe had thatch roofs - thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. This area was the only place for the little animals to get warm; so many dogs and cats (and other small animals) would lived in the roof. When it rained, this area became slippery so sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Thus the saying, "it's raining cats and dogs."

Another theory, as sad as it may be, is:

The much more probable source of 'raining cats and dogs' is the prosaic fact that, in the filthy streets of 17th/18th century England, heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals and other debris. The animals didn't fall from the sky, but the sight of dead cats and dogs floating by in storms could well have caused the coining of this colorful phrase.

One supposed origin is that the phrase derives from mythology. Dogs and wolves were attendants to Odin, the god of storms, and sailors associated them with rain. Witches, who often took the form of their familiars - cats, are supposed to have ridden the wind. Well, some evidence would be nice. There doesn't appear to be any to support this notion.

Sources: The Phrase Finder (based in the UK) and a few other Internet sites

Posted by Jeff Rae on Sep 13, 2011 at 7:53 AM