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Old 03-Nov-2003, 00:07
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Default The most popular idioms or proverbs

What would you say are the five most popular idioms or proverbs in use today? Would "Raining cats and dogs " be one of them?

Thanks.

BMO
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Old 03-Nov-2003, 05:03
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I am not at all sure what the most popular idiom is, but I am sure it is not raining cats and dogs, perhaps because it doesn't rain that hard that often.

:)
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Old 20-Apr-2004, 22:16
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How about:
  • It takes two to tango.
Or:
  • Kill two birds with one stone.

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Old 20-Apr-2004, 23:23
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'Raining cats and dogs' is a strange idiom- every student in the world knows it, yet I never hear any native speaker use it here in the UK.
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Old 21-Apr-2004, 00:58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdol
'Raining cats and dogs' is a strange idiom- every student in the world knows it, yet I never hear any native speaker use it here in the UK.
What do you say when it's pouring?
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Old 21-Apr-2004, 02:34
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It's pouring, chucking it down, or p*ss*ng it down.
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Old 21-Apr-2004, 09:55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdol
It's pouring, chucking it down, or p*ss*ng it down.
What about:

It´s bucketing down.

P. Fogg
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Old 21-Apr-2004, 10:16
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We do say that and just 'coming down'.
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Old 21-Apr-2004, 11:24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdol
We do say that and just 'coming down'.

I say it's coming down hard or pouring, but I've heard a lot of native Americans say it's raining cats and dogs, mostly the "older" generation, I guess. Brazilians say "it's raining pocketknives", which makes more sense than cats and dogs, at least to me. It's interesting how an idiom varies from country to country, isn't it? I myself love idioms. They make languages so much more colorful, especially when you hear one that is not so common.
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Old 21-Apr-2004, 20:22
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"When the pigs will begin to fly". Is it a common idiom in English ?
Or is it just the same as "It's raining cats and dogs" : well-known abroad but never used ?
In French, the equivalent idiom is very often used (at least in Belgium) and sounds like this :
"When the hens will have teeth". :wink:
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