GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — I wanted to do a serious topic this week but I thought I’d take a rain check instead. Oh, not that type of rain check, it’s raining cats and dogs in here. The English language is full of weather idioms.

If you’re trying to get something you’ll never obtain, you’d be chasing rainbows. But let’s say you actually managed to get one, I mean you’d be on cloud 9 right? And just make sure nobody beats you to cloud 10 because you’d hate to have them steal your thunder. 

If you’re planning an event that will happen no matter what, you’d tell your guests to come rain or shine. Though we’d like to keep everyone safe, so maybe don’t come if you’re under the weather.

Coming up with all these phrases just took some brainstorming. This could actually be a good way to break the ice with someone new. Your favorite quarterback might take the team by storm. Your kids may be your rays of sunshine. 

Idioms are helpful to people trying to learn the English language, kids included. If their head isn’t in the clouds, they’d pick up on these lightning fast. And if they don’t get it right away, that’s okay, just be patient because sometimes when it rains it pours.

I bet you probably never realized how many common weather idioms there are. But now that you’ve gotten wind of it, I bet you’ll start noticing more in everyday conversation.