It’s Been Raining Cats and Dogs; There Are Poodles Everywhere

Ten more English idioms that make learning English fun

Idioms are phrases such that a person cannot determine the meaning from the literal meaning of the words that make up the phrase. According to dictionary.com, the earliest use of the term idiom is from the 1560s. Idiom comes from the Latin word “Idioma,” meaning peculiarity. That certainly describes an idiom to me; raining cats and dogs would be a peculiar sight to see.

It’s been raining cats and dogs; there are poodles everywhere.

Let’s start with the easiest part of the idiom raining cats and dogs. It means that rain is coming down very hard. There are several thoughts as to how this phrase came about. One idea is that before the modern age, public health conditions in Europe were deplorable. People commonly threw garbage and dead animals outside. Heavy rain washed the bodies of small animals through the streets. Thus, after a soaking rain, it would appear that it had rained cats and dogs.

Another thought is that many homes in England had thatched roofs. Domestic animals would burrow into the thatched roof to stay warm in cold weather. The thatch would come apart in heavy rain, and the animals would fall through or slide off. The English newspaper, The Guardian, once published possible origins for this phrase from its readers. It is pretty interesting to read the origin opinions. The United States Library of Congress also has an interesting article on the origin, though it admits it doesn’t know the actual basis. Another colorful expression for heavy rain is to say it’s a genuine frog choker. “Frog choker” might not be an idiom, but it certainly is descriptive.

I can’t possibly make it to the party this weekend. I’m snowed under.

The origin of snowed under harkens to the image of a blizzard burying cars and houses under 6 feet of snow. However, snowed under refers to having a lot of work in this case.

Thanks for your offer to drive me to Austin. I’m going to have to take a rain check.

According to Grammarist.com, the term rain check first appeared in the 1890s due to the rise in popularity of American baseball. Promoters would give fans vouchers or checks that would entitle them to free admission for a rescheduled game. This explanation makes sense to me.

A rain check may also be the opportunity to purchase a sold-out item at a sale price when it is restocked. An example is, “Home Depot sold out of NexGrills at the sale price. The store gave me a rain check for when they restock.”

Although Xavier only assisted Juan in the research, Xavier was quick to steal Juan’s thunder at the press conference.

To steal someone’s thunder is to take credit for someone else’s work or draw attention away from someone.

This expression reminds me of another idiom relating to taking credit for achievements. I once heard former President Lyndon B. Johnson say, “If you don’t blow your own horn, someone will steal it.” This phrase means if you don’t take credit for your achievements, someone else will.

John had to break the ice with the owner first to get the business.

Breaking the ice means participating in an introductory activity to put people at ease before a discussion or negotiation. Phrases.org.uk references an early use of the term in 1579, “To be the first to break the Ice of the Enterprize.”

Although Mary earned only a bit more than minimum wage, she still saved for a rainy day.

To save for a rainy day means to set something aside for use at a later date. The set-aside can be money or something more tangible such as firewood for a cold night. Phrases.org.uk reports the term dating back to 1580 when it appeared in in ‘The Bugbears’: ‘Wold he haue me kepe nothing against a raynye day?’” From The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985). In a more modern application, the state of Texas maintains a reserve fund called the Rainy Day Fund, estimated to be $2.93 billion as of May 2021 (source: county.org)

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If you’d like to learn what crying all the way to the bank means, read the story below.

He’s a bad ‘en, he is. He’ll come to a bitter end.” Find out what this idiom means by reading the story below.