Raining cats and dogs

[Page Stephens]

Question: What's worse than raining cats and dogs?

Answer: Hailing taxi cabs.

Page Stephens

----- Original Message -----
From: "Barnhart" <barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: Raining cats and dogs


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Barnhart <barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Raining cats and dogs
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on Monday, January 24,
> 2005 at 1:24 PM -0500 wrote:
>>
>>The saying it's raining cats and dogs was first noted in the 17th
>>century, not the 16th.
>
> 1738 Swift _A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation_
> .....
>
> But, compare:
>
> [a1652 tr. J.F. Gmelin's Linnaeus' Syst. Nat. ... It shall raine .. Dogs
> and Polecats.]
>
> For what it's worth.
>
> David K. Barnhart
>
> barnhart at highlands.com