IdiomNature
FrenchCrude
FrenchCrudeIl pleut comme vache qui pisse
Meaning: It's pouring down — a crude, vivid way to say the rain is coming down extremely hard.
Literally: It rains like a cow that pisses
Example: “Prends un parapluie, il pleut comme vache qui pisse depuis ce matin.” — Take an umbrella; it's been raining cats and dogs since this morning.
English equivalent: It's raining cats and dogs
Origin: Farmyard French: a cow relieves itself in a heavy, steady torrent, and the downpour is compared to it. Wiktionnaire dates the phrase to the 19th century. It is vulgar but very common, and French has politer equivalents such as il pleut des cordes (it's raining ropes).
Other ways to say this
English: It's raining cats and dogs
Dutch: Het regent pijpenstelen Literally: It's raining pipe stems- French: Tomber des hallebardes Literally: To rain halberds
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