What does ‘raining cats and dogs’ mean?
To “raining cats and dogs” means to rain very heavily. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) notes several folk explanations for this saying — from Norse mythology (cats as symbols of storms, dogs of wind) to the debris that once washed off medieval roofs during downpours — but treats the true origin as uncertain.
Origin
- Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) notes several folk explanations for this saying — from Norse mythology (cats as symbols of storms, dogs of wind) to the debris that once washed off medieval roofs during downpours — but treats the true origin as uncertain.
How to use it
- Everyday hyperbole for a downpour; almost always used casually and never in formal writing.
- Example: Take an umbrella — it's raining cats and dogs out there.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.