cats and dogs

cats and dogs

English

Etymology

Probably derived from rain cats and dogs.

Noun

cats and dogs pl (plural only)

1. (chiefly in set phrases) A heavy rain; a large amount of rain.
   • 1901, Ellen Wood (Mrs. Henry Wood), Johnny Ludlow: sixth series, page 361:

     With a good blinding snowfall, or a pelting downpour of cats and dogs, I might have hoped for a respited What a Christmas offering for my mother! I say!

   • 2010, Helen Howington, All in a Lifetime, AuthorHouse (→ISBN), page 32:

     Many times, he would arrive soaking wet as the Florida skies had opened up in a sudden downpour of cats and dogs. Helen would wring out his shirt and put it out to dry, as clothes dryers were on the drawing board somewhere in the future.

Adverb

cats and dogs (not comparable)

1. (chiefly in set phrases, about raining, other precipitation, or leaking) Heavily; copiously; a lot.

   rain cats and dogs, come down cats and dogs, pour cats and dogs, storm cats and dogs

   • 2003, Joseph Sutton, The Immortal Mouth and Other Stories, Joseph Sutton (→ISBN)

     We're lost, no gas, Dmitri is drunk, it's totally dark, and the rain is falling cats and dogs. There's nothing to cover ourselves with and we're getting colder and wetter by the minute. We had a couple of flares on the boat but […]

   • 2010, Rita Herron, Have Cowboy, Need Cupid, Harlequin (→ISBN):

     Well, it was hailing cats and dogs as far as Rafe was concerned. Before he'd left for the bank, two of his best steers had escaped. Finally he'd received a call from the sheriff's department that his most prized animal was standing in the middle of a [highway].

   • 2011, John Salmon, PHD, Family By God's Design: A Celebrating Community of Honor and Grace, WestBow Press (→ISBN), page 147:

     Although it was a beautiful day, it had rained the previous night and the church roof was leaking cats and dogs. Roofers stomped around up on the roof and down below huge buckets lined the hallways to catch the dripping water. I didn't care […]

   • 2015, Mary Ann Rodman, Jimmy's Stars, Usborne Publishing Ltd (→ISBN):

     “It's sleeting cats and dogs.” Jellyneck's sneakers squished as he headed for the cloakroom, ignoring the question. “Oscar.” Miss Granberry looked up from her desk. “Drape your jacket across the radiator to dry.”