Learn English – The etymology of the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs”

etymology

I was wondering about the phrase it's raining cats and dogs; I've heard two versions of the meaning of the phrase and I was wondering which one was correct or wrong altogether.

The first: with 16th century European peasant homes frequently being thatched, animals seeking shelter from the elements would fall out during heavy rains.

The second: that drainage in 17th century Europe was typically poor so they would, during heavy rains, disgorge any of the animal corpses that had accumulated in them.

Best Answer

There are a few theories, that's for sure. But the bottom line is, the etymology is unknown. I won't leave you without these pointers, though:

  • The Phrase Finder:

    This is an interesting phrase in that, although there's no definitive origin, there is a likely derivation. [...] The fact that [Jonathan] Swift had alluded to the streets flowing with dead cats and dogs some years earlier and [in 1738] used 'rain cats and dogs' explicitly is good evidence that poor sanitation was the source of the phrase as we now use it.

  • Wikipedia:

    The English idiom "it is raining cats and dogs", used to describe an especially heavy rain, is of unknown etymology [...] There may not be a logical explanation; the phrase may have been used just for its nonsensical humor value[.]

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