Raining cats and dogs

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Meaning

A heavy downpour or very intense rain, often unexpected or overwhelming.

Origin

May stem from 17th-century England where dead animals, including cats and dogs, were washed through streets during storms due to poor drainage, or from Norse mythology linking cats and dogs to weather deities.

Usage Examples

  • We can't go outside-it's raining cats and dogs!
  • The picnic was ruined when it started raining cats and dogs.
  • It was raining cats and dogs all night, and the streets flooded.

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