I first heard this odd way of describing the weather from my husband. It was a beautiful sunny day. Randomly, out of nowhere it began to rain while the sun was still bright and visible. I took a few pictures then went inside to show my husband. As he saw them, he said, "Well, I guess the Devil is beating his wife today." I looked at him like he was crazy and asked what he meant. He told me that was an old saying to describe a sunny day where it rains.
That Beautiful Sunny Day When It Rained (Look A Double Rainbow!)
So What Does This Phrase Mean?
The saying "The Devil Is Beating His Wife" is most popular in the southern United States but is used in other parts of the world. Basically, the meaning behind it is the idea that God creates beauty and gives people sunshine and days full of light. The Devil hates beauty and tries to ruin it. He gets so angry that he is temperamental and takes out his aggression on his poor wife. When the Devil beats his wife she cries. On sunny days when it rains, the Devil's wife is crying because of his cruelty to her.
A Very Old Way Of Describing The Weather
The earliest use of this phrase was in multiple publications published in 1738. source
"In one publication by Jonathan Swift, he said, "The devil was beating his wife behind the door with a shoulder of mutton" to refer to sunny days with rain." Quote from source
Over time there have been different variations of this phrase but all mean the same thing...they are a way of describing out of the norm weather. These days the phrase seems to be mostly used in the southeastern United States. When my husband used the phrase I figured it had to be popular in the south where he's from.
According to my research, cultures all over the world may have variations on this phrase. Some use different characters in the phrase: witches, animals, people, fairies, etc.
The Proper Term: A Sunshower
Scientists have a word to describe sunny days when it rains: sunshower.
"A sunshower or sun shower is a meteorological phenomenon in which rain falls while the sun is shining. A sunshower is usually the result of accompanying winds associated with a rain storm sometimes miles away, blowing the airborne raindrops into an area where there are no clouds. Hence, a sunshower. Sometimes a sunshower is created when a single rain cloud passes overhead, and the Sun's angle keeps the sunlight from being obstructed by overhead clouds." Quote wikipedia
So I witnessed a beautiful sunshower that resulted in a lovely double rainbow. We had a sky filled with sun, then a gray rain cloud started to fly overhead. This rain cloud was pretty big, but not big enough that the entire sky looked gray in all directions. I luckily got pictures of each stage as the rain cloud arrived to drop a quick rain as it passed overhead. Shortly after the sun was back to lighting up the world and created a lovely double rainbow.
The Beginning and End Of My Own Sunshower
A Rain Cloud Arrives And Temporarily Blocks The Sun
The Cloud Moves To Let The Sun Start Shining and Creates A Rainbow While It's Still Raining
A Double Rainbow Forms
The End of The Closest Rainbow Is In My Yard!!!!
The End of The Rainbow Is In My Raised Garden Beds!
I've never see a rainbow so close and I've never seen the end of a rainbow. It was the coolest weather I'd ever seen. I thought about going digging for Leprechaun gold in the garden but I'm pretty sure if I dug up my husband's newly planted corn he wouldn't be too happy. Instead I decided to take the rainbow as a sign we'd have a successful harvest of vegetables in our garden this year.
The Double Rainbows Faded Quickly
They Were Gone As Quickly As They Arrived
If it hadn't been for my husband's colorful way of describing the weather, I wouldn't have known I witnessed a sunshower or that "The Devil is beating his wife" was an extremely old phrase used by cultures all over the world.
Have you ever heard this phrase? Do you have any unique phrases to describe the weather similar to "the Devil is beating his wife?"
For my part I have never had the opportunity to observe a rainbow so close, the times I had to detail one has been from my window, in the distance. Nor have I heard the phrase you mention but I guess it is valid. How long did the rainbow last?
nice picture. looks so beautiful. I like to see this picture because in it looks a rainbow that is very compatible with the green color of the forest
I have not heard this phrase before
Really a very beautiful picture well published, my friend
Haha, funny how people describe things around the world, i remember during a sun shower, we used to say a Lion is giving birth.
And during a Lighting , we would say God is taking photos of us.
Thunder - God is coughing and during
rainfall he is crying because of our sins.
Never had heard that saying but it sounds so appropriate! Stay dry friend 💜
Great rainbow shots. In one of them, it's so close, I can actually the pot of gold.
Personally, I like rainy days. At least, as long as you can take an umbrella and still get out to enjoy them. There's that smell of rain, actually created by a type of bacteria (or so I've been told), and the harassed looks of people trying to get from point A to point B.
The expression is interesting, though a bit misogynistic. That's one I haven't heard before.
"A mala lluvia, buen paraguas" is one I heard in southern Spain. "For bad rain, a good umbrella."
Hello friend, it is good that you are refreshing over there, and I have never heard this refrain, but very true, beautiful the cap of the double rainbow is charming.
Its so sad to hear that the rain has cost you a lot.
That phrase is a new one for me! I like sunshower better, though.
Great job catching the double rainbow as it passed through!