ANGLÈS
“It’s raining cats and dogs”
We use this term in English to describe heavy rain. While the exact origin of the phrase is unknown, there are lots of possible explanations. One theory is that during a particularly bad storm, small animals such as cats and dogs were sucked into the sky, and then came down in the rain. Another theory says that pets used to huddle together under thatched roofs during storms, and would slip in heavy rain and fall. Yet another theory, which may be more plausible, says that in Victorian times small animals would drown during heavy storms. The phrase makes reference to the bodies of these animals that were carried along the streets by the rain.
While it has never been proven that it actually did rain cats and dogs, there is a meteorological phenomenon called “rain of animals”, where small creatures such as fish and frogs are sucked up into the sky and rained elsewhere.
And finally, don’t confuse “it’s raining cats and dogs” with “fight like cat and dog”. That’s another kettle of fish altogether!
CATALÀ
“It’s raining cats and dogs”
Utilitzem aquest terme en anglès per descriure la pluja intensa. Tot i que es desconeix l’origen exacte de la frase, hi ha moltes possibles explicacions. Una de les teories és que durant una tempesta particularment dolenta, animals petits com gats i gossos van ser succionats al cel i després van caure amb la pluja. Una altra teoria diu que les mascotes solien refugiar-se als ràfecs de les teulades de palla durant les tempestes, i que relliscaven a causa de la forta pluja i queien. Hi ha una altra teoria, que pot ser més plausible, segons la qual en èpoques victorianes petits animals s’ofegaven durant tempestes fortes. La frase faria referència als cossos d’aquests animals que eren arrossegats pels carrers per la pluja.
Tot i que mai no s’ha comprovat que realment va ploure gats i gossos, hi ha un fenomen meteorològic anomenat “pluja d’animals”, on criatures petites com peixos i granotes són succionats al cel i cauen amb la pluja en un altre lloc.
I, finalment, no confongueu “ploure gats i gossos” amb “lluitar com gat i gos”. Això són figues d’un altre paner!
