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 \u201cthe devil is beating his wife\u201d. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n
As strange as the phrase the devil is beating his wife sounds, it actually doesn\u2019t 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. <\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is always uncanny when the devil is beating his wife, a clear sky and rain showers just don\u2019t mix\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever seen the devil is beating his wife? It really novel to be outside in sunny, yet wet weather\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe phrase the devil is beating his wife is hard to reconcile with sunny spring weather\u201d.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n In 1710, the phrase appeared in a French dictionary Dictionnaire des Proverbes Fran\u00e7ois. Before translation, the phrase is \u201cle diable bat sa femme\u201d. In 1738 the phrase was found in English in the prose Polite Conversation, which was penned by Jonathan Swift.<\/p>\nExample Usage<\/h2>\n
Origin<\/h2>\n