Where do we get the phrase 'It's raining cats and dogs'?

Question

Where do we get the phrase 'It's raining cats and dogs'?

Answer 1

There are several theories about the origin of this popular idiom, which goes back at least to the middle 1700's in England. One comes from Norse mythology, in which dogs were associated with windy storms and cats were associated with rain. Also, in England in the 17th and 18th centuries, many cats and dogs drowned in floods caused by terrible rainstorms, and their bodies were found in the streets afterwards as if they had fallen from the sky with the rain.

Answer 2

It's slang for Sopping Wogs i think, as in 'my clothes are wet because of those sopping wogs' aka cats and dogs.

Answer 3

It used to be common for homes to have thatched roofs, and the family animals would often sleep on them for warmth. When it rained really hard, the thatch would cave in, and the cats and dogs will fall through the roof into the house!!!

If you're ever in the UK you can take a tour of Mary Arden's house and learn all kinds of cool stuff like that.

http://houses.shakespeare.org.uk/