The phrase “raining cats and dogs” is used to describe heavy rain. The origin of the phrase is uncertain, but it may have come from the littered streets of 16th-century cities after heavy rain washed garbage, including dead animals, into the streets. Other theories include mythological associations with cats and dogs controlling the weather or taking shelter in thatched roofs, and a reference to the French word for waterfall.
In many areas of the English-speaking world, heavy weather is sometimes described as “the rain of cats and dogs,” suggesting that the rain is extremely heavy and quite unpleasant to be out in. A related saying from some parts of England is “it’s raining on the stairs.” There are a variety of explanations for the origins of this phrase, which dates back to the 1600s, ranging from the mythological to the macabre. Unfortunately, the macabre explanation is probably the most likely.
At the mythological end of things, some people have suggested that the term comes from the idea that cats and dogs are associated with the weather in certain regions of the world. Cats in particular have historically been linked to witchcraft and the ability to control the weather. However, this explanation for “it rains on cats and dogs” seems a bit thin when you consider the fact that many cats don’t like water, and thus would have no reason to cause heavy rain, even if they could.
A more extravagant explanation refers to the thatched roofs of many 16th-century houses. This theory suggests that cats and dogs took shelter in the straw, and when heavy rains came, the animals were washed off the roofs, making it look like it was raining cats and dogs. Unfortunately, straw is not like a haystack; the straw is made in large bundles that would not shelter an animal, and no animal would be foolish enough to stand on a roof in the pouring rain.
Some have also suggested that the term is a reference to the obsolete French term catadoupe, which means waterfall. The related Old English word catadupe – sometimes spelled catadupa – also refers to a waterfall or cataract, usually referring to a rocky, shallow section of the River Nile.
Alas, the real story behind “it’s raining for cats and dogs” lies in an unfortunate fact of 16th-century life. During this era, garbage, including dead animals, was often dumped along streets and roads, as there was no organized garbage collection. As a result, heavy rains would have washed litter into the streets of many cities, littering the streets with an untold collection of feces, dead animals, rotten fruit, and an assortment of other unsavory materials. A casual observer might have gotten the impression that it was pouring if he had looked out after a period of heavy rain, when the streets would have been littered with mud, dirt, garbage, and discarded animal carcasses.
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