Idiom of the Day
(it's) raining cats and dogs
傾盆大雨
Today: Sat, 31 Oct 2020
Meaning:
You can say "it's raining cats and dogs" if it's raining very hard.
it's raining cats and dogs是指雨下得非常大。
For example:
We can't go now because it's raining cats and dogs.
我們現在不能離開了因為雨下得非常大。
Why do people always use "it's raining cats and dogs" as an example of an idiom? No-one actually uses it any more, do they?
為什麼人們總是使用「it's raining cats and dogs」呢？ 難道沒有其他的習語可用了嗎？
Origin:
The first time this phrase appeared in print was in Jonathan Swift's A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation in 1738, in which he wrote, "I know Sir John will go, though he was sure it would rain cats and dogs". The phrase's source before this time remains a mystery, despite the many theories that have been put forward to explain its origin.
這句話第一次出現在印刷版中是在喬納森·斯威夫特（Jonathan Swift）於1738年出版的《A Complete Collection of Genteel》書中，他寫道：「我知道約翰爵士會去的，儘管這會兒雨下得很大」。 儘管提出了許多解釋其來源的理論，但該詞在此之前的來源仍然是個謎。
Quick Quiz
It's raining cats and dogs, so
a. watch out for falling animals
b. make sure you take an umbrella
c. keep your pets inside