Phrases, sayings and idioms at
The Phrase Finder
It never rains but it pours
Phrases, Sayings and Idioms Home > Phrase Dictionary - Meanings and Origins > It never rains but it pours


Browse phrases beginning with:

[A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][J][K][L][M][N][O][P][Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][X,Y,Z]


It never rains but it pours

Meaning

When troubles come they come together.

Origin

A proverbial phrase. The origin is unknown but the phrase itself was known by the early 18th century. For example, this item from a work by John Arbuthnot, 1726: "It cannot rain but it pours; or London strow'd with rarities."

See also: the List of Proverbs.