Etymology definition: the study of the origin of words and expressions and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.
Idiom: It's raining cats and dogs.
Origin and Meaning: No one knows for sure, but here are two possible explanations of the idiom:
1 The most common explanation says that in olden times, homes had thatched roofs in which domestic animals such as cats and dogs would like to hide. In heavy rain, the animals would either be washed out of the thatch, or rapidly abandon it for better shelter, often falling into the home... so it would seem to be raining cats and dogs.
2 The most probable source is the fact that dead animals and other debris were sometimes washed up in the streets after a heavy rain.
So, every time it is raining heavily (a heavy rain), you could say "It's raining cats and dogs."
Do you have a similar idiom/expression in your native language?
I always wondered why that was and why "it's raining dogs and cats" sounds so unnatural in that particular order. But only recently I found out that English has this implicit i -> a -> o rule, e.g. mish-mash, ding dong, dilly-dally, chit-chat, etc. and if you violate that rule, whatever you say will sound unnatural. So that's why native speakers would never say "bad big wolf" or "dogs and cats". I was really happy when I found out about this rule because suddenly so many things made sense.
In Irish we say Tá sé ag cur sceana gréasaí, literally: "It's raining shoemakers' knives" (in Ireland people also use this phrase in English).
The Welsh equivalent is Mae hi'n bwrw hen wragedd a ffyn, literally: "It's raining old women and sticks"!
Old joke: "Have you ever heard of raining cats and dogs?" "No, but I've heard of hailing taxicabs."
Thank you, Richard for letting us know about the origin of this cool idiom:)
By the way, Leyla, it is technically possible to rain cats and dog but for that to be happened, cats and dogs should live in the ocean or pond instead of houses:) As you mentioned that in some places fish fall from the sky while raining and that's due to the cyclone that happens over the ocean. It sucks water along with the animals living in it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKWfNSFXzqw
Here is the link to know where the fish fall happened in the past https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_of_animals
It's India I think:)
Hello
It is nice to meet you all in this discussion:)
So I have heard that in some countries that close to the ocean and huge sea fall fish during heavy rain. But I can not imagine how fall cats and dogs. Yes, it is a cool idiom. Even I wrote a notebook entry about this idiom.
Now about our language. There is also a funny idiom about heavy rain in our language. I will try to translate it for you.
There is a such heavy rain, grab one end and go up to the sky.
I tried:)
