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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Raining cats and dogs
On this week's edition of the NPR quiz show Says You!, the object of the first round was for the contestants to identify the origins of familiar phrases. The first one was "raining cats and dogs" and the "correct" answer was that back when folks lived in cottages with thatched roofs, the roofs would sometimes collapse during a rainstorm and dogs and cats who were sitting on them at the time would fall into the cottage. I'm not making this up!
Now excuse me was the collapse of a thatched roof during a rainstorm all that common? It seems to me that it rains rather often in the British Isles surely they would have licked the leaky-roof problem. And since when do dogs climb up on roofs? And cats hang out there during a rainstorm?
World Wide Words lists five possible origins for this phrase, none involving collapsing roofs. The most popular is that animals had magical powers attributed to them in Norse mythology, with dogs being responsible for wind and cats for rain. This notion seems to have started with Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, but I can't find any other evidence of it.
But my real question is what is the everlasting attraction of these farfetched explanations for everyday phrases? Isn't it more likely that one person came up with a colorful description of a pummeling rainstorm, somebody else liked the sound of it and repeated it, and it just caught on?
Now excuse me was the collapse of a thatched roof during a rainstorm all that common? It seems to me that it rains rather often in the British Isles surely they would have licked the leaky-roof problem. And since when do dogs climb up on roofs? And cats hang out there during a rainstorm?
World Wide Words lists five possible origins for this phrase, none involving collapsing roofs. The most popular is that animals had magical powers attributed to them in Norse mythology, with dogs being responsible for wind and cats for rain. This notion seems to have started with Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, but I can't find any other evidence of it.
But my real question is what is the everlasting attraction of these farfetched explanations for everyday phrases? Isn't it more likely that one person came up with a colorful description of a pummeling rainstorm, somebody else liked the sound of it and repeated it, and it just caught on?
Top answer
, the object of the first round was for the ... html ) "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.
- , the object of the first round was for the ...
- html ) "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.
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16 Answers
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[nq:1]On this week's edition of the NPR quiz show Says You!, the object of the first round was for the ... description of a pummeling rainstorm, somebody else liked the sound of it and repeated it, and it just caught on?[/nq]
There's an interesting comment about 'raining cats and dogs' at:
There's an interesting comment about 'raining cats and dogs' at:
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[nq:2]But my real question is what is the everlasting ... of it and repeated it, and it just caught on?[/nq]
[nq:1]There's an interesting comment about 'raining cats and dogs' at: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/298100.html) "The phrase is supposed to have originated in England
[nq:1]There's an interesting comment about 'raining cats and dogs' at: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/298100.html) "The phrase is supposed to have originated in England
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[nq:1](...about rain, of course...)[/nq]
And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".
Mike.
And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".
Mike.
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Mike Lyle typed thus:
[nq:1](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods".
Who nowadays uses stair rods?
David
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[nq:1](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods".
Who nowadays uses stair rods?
David
==
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[nq:1]Mike Lyle typed thus:[/nq]
[nq:2](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
[nq:1]"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods". Who nowadays uses stair rods?[/nq]
By Gum, I haven't
[nq:2](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
[nq:1]"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods". Who nowadays uses stair rods?[/nq]
By Gum, I haven't
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[nq:2]Mike Lyle typed thus: "stair rods" rain is familiar to ... coming down like stair rods". Who nowadays uses stair rods?[/nq]
[nq:1]By Gum, I haven't seen a stair rod for thirty years.[/nq]
They're all anabolic now.
Ross Howard
[nq:1]By Gum, I haven't seen a stair rod for thirty years.[/nq]
They're all anabolic now.
Ross Howard
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[nq:1]On this week's edition of the NPR quiz show Says You!, the object of the first round was for the ... the leaky-roof problem. And since when do dogs climb up on roofs? And cats hang out there during a rainstorm?[/nq]
You would be hard pressed to collapse a thatched roof with a hand grenade. I'm talking of the genuine one-handful-at-a-time thatching of the kind that's rarely done nowadays,
You would be hard pressed to collapse a thatched roof with a hand grenade. I'm talking of the genuine one-handful-at-a-time thatching of the kind that's rarely done nowadays,
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[nq:1]Mike Lyle typed thus:[/nq]
[nq:2](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
[nq:1]"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods". Who nowadays uses stair rods?[/nq]
Only the very gran
[nq:2](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
[nq:1]"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods". Who nowadays uses stair rods?[/nq]
Only the very gran
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Mike Lyle filted:
[nq:2]There's an interesting comment about 'raining cats and dogs' at: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/298100.html)[/nq]
[nq:1]Don't worry till it starts hailing taxis.[/nq]
You are Doodles Weaver, and I claim my glass of Gentry's Gin..r
[nq:2]There's an interesting comment about 'raining cats and dogs' at: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/298100.html)[/nq]
[nq:1]Don't worry till it starts hailing taxis.[/nq]
You are Doodles Weaver, and I claim my glass of Gentry's Gin..r
00
[nq:1]Mike Lyle typed thus:[/nq]
[nq:2](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
[nq:1]"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods". Who nowadays uses stair rods?[/nq]
Ah, back in them d
[nq:2](...about rain, of course...) And I particularly like the expression "raining stair-rods".[/nq]
[nq:1]"stair rods" rain is familiar to me from childhood, and Wife knew it in her Northern upbringing as well. But I wouldn't say "raining stair rods", I would say "It's coming down like stair rods". Who nowadays uses stair rods?[/nq]
Ah, back in them d
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