ProverbChallenge
American origin1914
American origin1914When it rains, it pours
Meaning: Troubles often come all at once.
Example: “First a flat tire, then a lost wallet: when it rains, it pours.”
Origin: The Morton Salt Company adopted "When it rains it pours" as its slogan in 1914, boasting that its salt still flowed freely in damp weather. The slogan turned an older proverb on its head: "It never rains but it pours," meaning that misfortunes arrive all at once, which the Scottish physician and writer John Arbuthnot had used in 1726 for the title of a piece called "It Cannot Rain But It Pours."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 4 more languages
French: Un malheur ne vient jamais seul (literally: A misfortune never comes alone)
Spanish: Las desgracias nunca vienen solas (literally: Misfortunes never come alone)
Japanese: 泣きっ面に蜂 (Nakittsura ni hachi) (literally: A bee on a crying face)
German: Ein Unglück kommt selten allein (literally: A misfortune seldom comes alone)
Italian: Le disgrazie non vengono mai sole (literally: Misfortunes never come alone)
Portuguese: Uma desgraça nunca vem só (literally: A misfortune never comes alone)
Russian: Пришла беда — отворяй ворота (Prishla beda — otvoryay vorota) (literally: Trouble has come, so open the gates)
Polish: Nieszczęścia chodzą parami (literally: Misfortunes come in pairs)
Chinese: 祸不单行 (Huò bù dān xíng) (literally: Disasters never travel alone)
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