When It Rains, It Pours
Meaning: When one bad thing happens, several more often happen at the same time.
How to use it
People say it when problems pile up: the car breaks down, then the laptop, then you get sick. It’s common and a little humorous, often said with a sigh. Sometimes it’s used for good things arriving all at once, like several job offers in one week. The British version is “It never rains but it pours.”
Examples
- First I lost my keys, then I missed the bus. When it rains, it pours.
- Two people quit and our biggest client left in the same week. When it rains, it pours.
- I had no job offers for months, and now I have three. When it rains, it pours.
A common mistake
The saying stays in the present tense: When it rains, it pours, even when you’re talking about the past. Don’t say “When it rained, it poured.”
Where it comes from
It comes from an older British saying, “It never rains but it pours,” used since the 1700s. Morton Salt didn’t invent the phrase, but its early-1900s slogan, “When it rains it pours,” made this wording famous in the U.S.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: HuffPost