I don’t feel like we’ve had many April showers in the Sandhills this year. I’ve had to water the plants just about every day over the last few weeks. So I was thankful when the rain clouds rolled in yesterday morning, and it rained all day.

The chilly, gray day was perfect for getting all those little indoor chores done that I’ve been putting off. I ordered Belle’s new contacts, addressed the last of Bug’s graduation party invitations, and put the finishing touches on my raised bed garden plans.

While I worked, the rain drummed on the AC unit outside my bedroom window. The satisfying pings created by the raindrops reminded me of rainstorms at Mamaw and Papaw’s, where the sound of rain on the porch’s tin roof carried throughout the whole house. 

Every time it rained, Papaw announced: Well, I’ll be damned if it’s not piss pouring the rain out there. I use his exact turn of phrase to this day. I’m not sure where it comes from, but it might be a shortened version of ‘it’s raining like pouring piss out of a boot.’

Since the rain dried up, I’ve been thinking about all the other ways I’ve heard people say it’s raining. I figured since the rainy season is about to start, it’s the perfect time to dust them off for y’all.

Other Ways to Say It’s Raining in North Carolina

• There’s a frog strangler coming on.
• It’s raining like pouring piss out of a boot.
• It’s blowing up a storm.
• We’ve got a gully washer out there.
• It’s raining pitchforks and devil babies.
• It come up a bad cloud.
• We’ve got ourselves a sizzly sod-soaker.
• It’s raining cats and dogs.
• The bottom fell out.