There is something a bit magical about a light rain shower when the sun is shining. It may leave you with a feeling of whimsy, or it may make you feel unsettled. Regardless, there is a quirky term for this occurrence called “the devil is beating his wife”. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
As strange as the phrase the devil is beating his wife sounds, it actually doesn’t have a nefarious meaning. The phrase simply means that there is sunshine and rain at the very same time. For example, often in the spring, the sky is rather clear with bright sky though light showers are sprinkling all over the place. This is the main meaning of the devil is beating his wife. Another meaning is that it is a hot cloudless day, but there are still rainbows and rain showers in the area.
There are many people who struggle with how to explain a shining sun and a rainy day, however, the phrase the devil is beating his wife is an apt way to put it. It can also mean that there is something good that will happen despite a bad situation, but this meaning is seldom used outside of very specific localities.
Example Usage
“It is always uncanny when the devil is beating his wife, a clear sky and rain showers just don’t mix”
“Have you ever seen the devil is beating his wife? It really novel to be outside in sunny, yet wet weather”.
“The roads are quite slick when the devil is beating his wife. There is a lot of oil on the ground and people are not as cautious”.
“The phrase the devil is beating his wife is hard to reconcile with sunny spring weather”.
Origin
The phrase the devil is beating his wife has been around for a couple of hundred years. Aside from the phrase, one of the earliest depictions of the idiom was actually an image. The picture was of the devil exuding rays of fire which represented the sun. In the same image, the fire would consume his wife causing her to cry. Her tears were representative of the rain. It is assumed that the image is rooted in folklore, though the exact origin is unknown.
In 1710, the phrase appeared in a French dictionary Dictionnaire des Proverbes François. Before translation, the phrase is “le diable bat sa femme”. In 1738 the phrase was found in English in the prose Polite Conversation, which was penned by Jonathan Swift.
Phrases Similar to The Devil is Beating His Wife
- The devil is kissing his wife
- There is a rainbow during the storm
- The devil is beating his wife and marrying his daughter
- Sun showers
- Monkey wedding
Phrases Opposite to The Devil is Beating His Wife
- Raining cats and dogs
- A downpour
- A dark and dreary storm
What is the Correct Saying?
- The proper way to say the phrase is – the devil is beating his wife.
Ways People May Incorrectly Say The Devil is Beating His Wife
Some ways that the devil is beating his wife is used incorrectly are:
- Anytime you see a rainbow it is because the devil is beating his wife.
- The thunderstorms that come every season are the devil is beating his wife and nothing more.
- You act like the devil is beating his wife personally offends you.
Ways People May Correctly Say The Devil is Beating His Wife
Some ways that the devil is beating his wife is used correctly are:
- In the South, most people use the phrase devil is beating his wife when they see sunshine and rain all in the same area.
- When we were driving up the interstate today, I noticed that the devil is beating his wife, which is rarer than you may believe.
- I would rather have the experience when the devil is beating his wife than have to deal with it raining cats and dogs.
- One of my students asked me why his mom said that the devil is beating his wife is a good thing.