Monday, February 17, 2014

Right as Rain

Right now in Britain what on earth can be right about rain? I understand that if you live in a drought-stricken nation rain is just the ticket (what does that mean, by the way?), wholly desirable and a God-send when it turns up. However, here in Britain, right now, that's just not the case, is it?
 
Right as rain: the phrase popped out of my mouth the other day and set me thinking, pondering on its meaning and origins. (I'm like that with words.)
 
Right as rain! I looked it up in 'Brewers'. There were a number of entries about rain. Some were more relevant than others.
 
'It never rains but it pours.' True! Very true! An 18th century proverb, apparently. Very shrewd these 18th century guys - and gals.
 
'To put something by for a rainy day.' Well, the day has come! Time for a spending spree!
 
'To rain cats and dogs.' A seafarer might have used the expression 'The cat has a gale of wind in her tail' when a cat is unusually frisky, so Brewer's tells us. The dog, Brewer says, is a signal of wind, like the wolf, which were both attendants of Odin, the storm god. 'So the cat may be a symbol of down-pouring rain and the dog of the strong gusts of wind accompanying a rainstorm.' I thought Brewer said the cat was something to do with wind, not rain... oh, well, never mind. Anyway, we've had plenty of both lately.
 
'Rain check.' This has something to do with a ticket that was given in the USA, entitling one to see another baseball game when the one you had a ticket for was cancelled because of rain. OK. They could be issuing a lot of those these days. But certainly no-one needs to check if it's raining.
 
OK, Brewer's, thanks for the explanations.
 
But 'right as rain'? How can this be? How can rain be 'right' - or 'wrong'? Well, I can see a whole lot more reason for it being wrong right now, especially in Somerset, Berkshire and a few other places. With sodden ground, flooded streets and homes, overflowing gutters and wrecked sea defences, what on earth do we need more rain for? And how can it possibly be 'right'? The only guess I can make is that rain might be described as 'upright', i.e. coming straight down. In the Netherlands rain comes in 'rods', not bedraggled moggies. Again a picture of rain coming down forcefully in straight lines. Although, actually, recently the rain in Wales has been more diagonal or horizontal than vertical. The neighbour opposite has a tall, thin conifer in his front garden which, after being battered by the winds, has finally been left as a long-lasting testimonial of the direction in which both wind and rain came these last few days and weeks. 
 
So the mystery remains. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable has let me down for once. Can anybody help?

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