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This time of year means two things: bad weather and plenty of grumbling about the bad weather. But why, when we\u2019re complaining about the sky tipping down with rain, do we have to bring our canine companions and feline friends into the mix? There are plenty of theories about the origin of the phrase \u2018raining cats and dogs\u2019.<\/p>\n
It first appeared in the Welsh poet Henry Vaughan\u2019s collection, Olor Iscanus<\/em>, in 1651, where he referred to a roof sturdy enough to survive \u201cdogs and cats rained in shower\u201d. The next year, English playwright Richard Brome wrote in The City Wit<\/em> that \u201cIt shall rain dogs and polecats\u201d \u2013 polecats being common in Britain at the time.<\/p>\n There are also two theories suggesting the renowned Irish satirist Jonathan Swift made the phrase popular. In 1738, in his Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation<\/em>, a character is afraid it might \u201crain cats and dogs\u201d. It\u2019s fairly likely that Swift\u2019s satire, regardless of whether he invented the term, was responsible for its following popularity. In 1710, Swift wrote the poem, City Shower<\/em>, which included an image of dead animals left in city streets after heavy floods.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Not that this really answers why cats and dogs, of all animals. There are four possible origins of why the domestic pets became synonymous with torrential downpour. They are\u2026<\/p>\n 1) <\/strong>Cats and dogs used to cuddle into thatched roofs during storms, only to be washed out during heavy rains. Considering how a well-maintained thatched roof is actually fairly waterproof, the animals would have to be cowering on the outside, so this wouldn\u2019t have been a great hiding place in a storm. This theory makes for a nice story, but is probably apocryphal.<\/p>\nRead more \u2018Why do we say\u2026?\u2019<\/h4>\n