General
the devil's beating his wife
What does the devil's beating his wife mean?
Describes rain falling while the sun is still shining.
"Look, sun's out but it's sprinkling—the devil's beating his wife."
Origin
Southern folk saying for a sunshower, a variant of similar folklore expressions worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
What does "the devil's beating his wife" mean?
It describes a sunshower—rain falling while the sun is still shining.
Where does the saying come from?
It's a Southern U.S. folk expression for a sunshower, one of many worldwide folklore sayings for the same odd weather.
How do you use it?
You say it when you notice rain and sunshine at the same time, e.g. "Sun's out but it's raining—the devil's beating his wife."
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
