What's the origin of the term "It's raining cats & dogs"?

elizabethmc

'Houses had thatched roofs. Thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the pets ... dogs, cats and other small animals, mice, rats, bugs lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs".' http://www.wordskit.com/language/legends/catdog.shtml Feb 28 05, 3:35 PM

lothruin

The origin of the phrase is, like so many old phrases, not entirely known. There are a number of possibilities, but the one elizabeth quoted is not one of them. Here's the snopes article: http://www.snopes.com/language/phrases/1500.htm#hathaway And since it's a long article, here's what they have to say: "Mice, rats, and bugs definitely take up residence in thatch roofs — to them it's a highrise hay mow. Cats and dogs, however, don't go up there. The saying it's raining cats and dogs was first noted in the 17th century, not the 16th. A number of theories as to its origin exist: 1. By evoking the image of cats and dogs fighting in a riotous, all-out manner, it expresses the fury of a sudden downpour. 2. Primitive drainage systems in use in the 17th century could be overwhelmed by heavy rainstorms, leading to gutters overflowing with debris that included dead animals. 3. In Northen European mythology, it is believed cats influence the weather and dogs represent wind. 4. The saying might have derived from the obsolete French word catadoupe, meaning waterfall or cataract. 5. It might have come from a similar-sounding Greek phrase meaning 'an unlikely occurrence.'" Feb 28 05, 10:52 PM