The rain is heavy/big

[Winwin2011]

Some people say that it is correct to say "The rain is heavy" not "The rain is big."

Thanks for your help.

[bhaisahab]

Some people say that it is correct to say "The rain is heavy" not "The rain is big."

Thanks for your help.

"The rain is heavy" is correct. "The rain is big" is wrong.

[emsr2d2]

The raindrops might be big.

[richardavie]

There are tons of ways of saying it colloquially, e.g. it's chucking it down, it's pissing down, it's bucketing down. It probably depends which country you come from!

[emsr2d2]

There are tons of ways of saying it colloquially, e.g. it's chucking it down, it's pissing down, it's bucketing down. It probably depends which country you come from!

There are indeed many other terms for it. Just a quick note, richardavie, as you're new, we tend not to put swear words in full because of the danger of learners picking them up inadvertently and using them in inappropriate situations, as well as the age of some of the students. Therefore "p*ssing down" would have been better, with an explanation in brackets that the missing word is "i" but the phrase should be avoided mostly.

[BobK]

One of my favourite metaphors for torrential rain is 'It's coming down in/like stair-rods - yet another metaphor that refers to old technology: http://www.walton-rugs.co.uk/images/..._lifestyle.jpg . I wouldn't say they're extinct (yet), but the last time I lived in a house with a stair-carpet held down in this way was a good 50 years ago.

b

[emsr2d2]

I use "coming down in stair-rods" a lot!

[Barb_D]

Does it rain cats and dogs in the UK?

[emsr2d2]

Does it rain cats and dogs in the UK?

It most certainly does. Far too regularly for my liking.