raining cats and dogs idiom 1. Raining heavily. 2. A downpour.

BS Definition: If only we could see out the window from our cubicle, we could tell you what this is like.

Origin: This is one of the more bizarre phrases in the English language and has been around since at least the 17th century. One of the earliest citations comes from British poet Henry Vaughn, who, in his 1651 collection of poems called Olor Iscanus, referred to a roof that was secure against “dogs and cats rained in shower.” In 1652, writer Richard Brome made reference to the ...

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