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Richard: It's mid November and so here in Europe it's the beginning of winter, and for winter that means one thing: the rain. And today, as it's absolutely bucketing down, today we’re going to talk about rain and idioms to do with rain.
Jackie: Yes, maybe the most popular one, Richard, um… for learners of English anyway, is er… “It's raining cats and dogs”.
Richard: [laughs] Yes. Loved by course books everywhere.
Jackie: But do you think that native speakers actually use that expression?
Richard: Not really. I use the expression “it was bucketing down”, we usually use things like that: “bucketing down”, “pouring down”, “chucking it down” is one I particularly like.
Jackie: Yes. So all of these meaning it's raining…
Richard: Heavy rain, heavy rain
Jackie: It's raining very heavily, yeah. So we also use rain as well for other idioms, don't we Richard, and er… one of my favourites is “to be as right as rain”, which I think is a little bit odd because normally you associate rain I think with negative things.
Richard: Hmmm. And “as right as rain” of course means that you're in excellent health.
Jackie: Mmm
Richard: Normally after you've been “under the weather”.
Jackie: Yes, after an illness.
Richard: So “under the weather” you're ill, but then when you recover, you’re “as right as rain”.
Jackie: So you can say, “Oh, yesterday I was feeling a bit under the weather but um… I'm as right as rain today”.
Richard: Exactly.
Jackie: [laughs] And then if you are under the weather and you couldn't do something, you had to cancel something um… there's an American expression, which is becoming very popular, which is “to take a rain check”.
Richard: Yes. Quite recent in English I've never really used that, more of an American expression. Actually, I was in America and um… I went to an outdoor event and it poured with rain and they actually gave the rain checks out. In other words, it was a free entry to come back the following week. So that is an actual rain check.
Jackie: Right so ok, so that's why they say, when… when… if you invite somebody round um… I don’t know, you invite somebody round for tea or something, they'll say, “Oh um… can I take a rain check um… and perhaps come tomorrow.” Cos they want to, to…
Richard: They just want to postpone the event.
Jackie: Postpone, yes.
Richard: Which is essentially what it is, yes.
Jackie: Yes. And other people um… don't get put off by the rain they do things “come rain or shine”
Richard: Yes. Whatever the weather they'll be there.
Jackie: Whatever happens.
Richard: So what happens when it does “bucket down”? You generally get “soaked to the skin”
Jackie: “Soaked to the skin”, yes. Or… or “drenched”.
Richard: Or simply “soaking wet”.
Jackie: Yes, I think that's really nice. You can say, “Oh, yesterday, I went out, it was chucking it down and I got soaked to the skin”. Great English, everyday English phrases, I think those are great.
Richard: Yes, but it's not going to happen today because we are staying indoors as I don't think the weather’s going to be changing.
Jackie: Yes. “Rain stopped play”. [Richard laughs]
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