The most popular idioms or proverbs

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RonBee

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bmo said:
green_summer said:
RonBee said:
Never has it rained cats and dogs,
But sometimes it rains frogs.

:wink:
In China, we often use " rains cats and dogs " :) When I use this idiom first time, I felt it is very funny, how can the cats and dogs be rained?? *_*

From: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/298100.html

Meaning: Raining very heavily.

Origin: The phrase is supposed to have originated in england in the 17th century. City streets were then filthy and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Richard Brome's The City Witt, 1652 has the line 'It shall rain dogs and polecats'. Also, cats and dogs both have ancient associations with bad weather. Witches were supposed to ride the wind during storms in the form of cats.

Thanks. I didn't know that.

:D
 

RonBee

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bmo said:
green_summer said:
RonBee said:
Never has it rained cats and dogs,
But sometimes it rains frogs.

:wink:
In China, we often use " rains cats and dogs " :) When I use this idiom first time, I felt it is very funny, how can the cats and dogs be rained?? *_*

From: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/298100.html

Meaning: Raining very heavily.

Origin: The phrase is supposed to have originated in england in the 17th century. City streets were then filthy and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Richard Brome's The City Witt, 1652 has the line 'It shall rain dogs and polecats'. Also, cats and dogs both have ancient associations with bad weather. Witches were supposed to ride the wind during storms in the form of cats.

Thanks. I didn't know that.

:D
 
Y

yulia

Guest
It's really great that such different languages at the first glance, after digging deeper become so much more relative. In Russian, when we talk about something that is simply not possible to happen, or at least not in the coming future, we say: "Когда рак на горе свиснет." Rough tanslatio of this idiom in English will sound like this: "When the crayfish will whistle in the mountain".
 
Y

yulia

Guest
It's really great that such different languages at the first glance, after digging deeper become so much more relative. In Russian, when we talk about something that is simply not possible to happen, or at least not in the coming future, we say: "Когда рак на горе свиснет." Rough tanslatio of this idiom in English will sound like this: "When the crayfish will whistle in the mountain".
Now, how's that?
 
Y

yulia

Guest
bmo said:
green_summer said:
RonBee said:
Never has it rained cats and dogs,
But sometimes it rains frogs.

:wink:
In China, we often use " rains cats and dogs " :) When I use this idiom first time, I felt it is very funny, how can the cats and dogs be rained?? *_*

From: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/298100.html

Meaning: Raining very heavily.

Origin: The phrase is supposed to have originated in england in the 17th century. City streets were then filthy and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Richard Brome's The City Witt, 1652 has the line 'It shall rain dogs and polecats'. Also, cats and dogs both have ancient associations with bad weather. Witches were supposed to ride the wind during storms in the form of cats.


Hey, guys, I've got so much to learn here and I'm so glad that I had found this site. So much interesting stuff. Besides, when reading all this I feel how much I lack in English, and I feel that it's just so poor, at least in terms of idioms. :p
 

Tdol

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The nearest to your whistling crayfish would be 'when pigs fly'. ;-) Welcome.:hi:
 
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