Raining cats and dogs

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/raining-cats-and-dogs

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the idiomatic classification?A figurative expression for torrential rainfall
2. What is the historical usage span?Documented use dating back to at least the 17th century
3. What does the phrase "raining cats and dogs" mean?It means it is raining very hard, a heavy downpour.
4. Why do people say it instead of just "raining hard"?It uses a vivid picture of many animals falling to show how chaotic and strong the rain is.

Idiom: A phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the ordinary meanings of its constituent words.
Etymology: The study of the origin of words and the historical development of their meanings.
Metaphor: A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.
Figurative Language: Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.