WHY DO WE SAY—?

Auckland Star, 2 September 1933, Page 8

WHY DO WE SAY—?

'IT'S RAINING CATS AND DOGS."

Someone once suggested that this phrase might have been used to describe a torrential downpour of rain because the noise made by the feet of cats and dogs running across bare boards is very similar to that of heavy rain. He must have been very sorely pressed for an explanation, but it is' quite, typical of some of; the far-fetched suggestions which have boon advanced to explain this curious idiom, which w 0 are so apt to take for granted without considering how absurd it really is. Another imaginative theorist connected the origin of the phrase with the game provincially known a s "cat and dog," in which small pieces of wood arc known by these names H e ingeniously surmised that "if a number of players were engaged in the game and they grew excited it might easily be said that 'it rained cats and dogs. Similarly, mnny other people have given their opinions on tho subject, and many fanciful ideas have been forthcoming. To come to those which'are more reasonable and among which the true explanation is probably to be found, we find that an old book of 1592 gives us. "instead of thiinderboltes shooteth lothing but dogboltes or eatboltes." Doirbolts and catbolts are dialect words for certain kinds of bolt used for doors and for joining pieces of wood together, but there is no 'further evidence to connect them with our modern phrase. The true origin of this exaggerative description of the weather is most likely connected either with ancient mythology or with a word to be found in o reek and French. The French word "catadoupe" find its Greek equivalent both signify a cataract or the sound of a heavy fall. The difficulty here i<. of course, to explain why "catadounc." should become "cats and dogs," if that is the case. I

Th<> theory which connects the phrase with mythology is apparently the most feasible and is favoured by the authoritative Brewer. In old folk lorn there are, numerous associations of these animals with gales, winds and sometimes rain. ''Cat's nose;" we are told, is used even to-day for the tempestuous north-west wind by certain peoples of Ei'rope; while tlip ;lon was a prominent member nf the servants of Odin, the cod of storm, find hiis Inn;, been pssorit'ted with high winds. Thus may have arisen tlia coupling of the*:- two to denote the. stormiest kind of weather which is experienced in Britain.