It's Raining Cats and Dogs!

I ought to know, I just stepped in a poodle (puddle). One of my all time favourite puns and now I get to share it with you.

There's a lot of conjecture as to the origin of this phrase, but it is most likely only a picturesque phrase relating to heavy rainfall. There is some speculation that cats are associated with rain (via witches' familiars) and dogs with storms & wind (Odin, the God of wind, etc. had dogs or wolves with him). Or perhaps after a heavy rainfall, several dogs and cats were discovered the next day drowned, thus leading to the speculation that they had fallen from the sky.

But it is really pissing down hard today. And there isn't a typhoon and the rainy season hasn't started yet. The closest Japanese equivalent to raining cats and dogs is: 土砂降りである (doshaburi de aru) Earth and sand are falling!