The Devil is beating his wife

Posted by ESC on July 22, 2009 at 12:47

In Reply to: The Devil is beating his wife posted by Marian M. Troup on July 21, 2009 at 21:17:

: When the sun is out and it is raining, my Mom used to say "The Devil is beating his wife over the head with a dishpan." We are from East Tennessee. Anyone know the origin of this phrase?

No, but one reference has an 1889 written citation -- Mooney, Folk Carolina Mts. The devil is beating/whipping his wife -- said when it is raining and the sun is shining, producing a rainbow. "Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English" by Michael B. Montgomery and Joseph S. Hall (University of Tennessee Press, 2004). Page 173