Devil beating his wife?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marys_daughter
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Marys_daughter

Guest
Quick question here!

My Mother-in-law from Florida is visiting. Yesterday it was raining while the sun was brightly shining. She said, “The Devil is beating his wife!” I asked her where this saying comes from but she had no idea. Its just something some people say when it rains when the sun is out.

Now we are as curious as can be about where it comes from.

Anyone know?

Thanks!
 
After a quick google search, I found out that this phrase is the shortened version of

“The devil is behind the kitchen door beating his wife with a frying pan.”

It is used mostly in the south east in America, and that it has seemed to originate in Hungary.

Not sure of anything more but I hope this helps in the search- and I will see if I can find anything more. I had never heard this before so now I’m curious!
 
I had heard that saying as a child and I still say that today.

I also heard when you hear thunder God is moving furniture or God is bowling.

I also heard the saying that when a tiny newborn smiles in its sleep that the angels are talking to him or her.

I think the first two were mainly to calm a childs fear of storms.
 
40.png
Shiann:
After a quick google search, I found out that this phrase is the shortened version of

“The devil is behind the kitchen door beating his wife with a frying pan.”

It is used mostly in the south east in America, and that it has seemed to originate in Hungary.

Not sure of anything more but I hope this helps in the search- and I will see if I can find anything more. I had never heard this before so now I’m curious!
Click to expand...
We have a similar saying in Puerto Rico “The devil and his wife are fighting.” When my wife said that the other day, I asked her why water was coming from the sky - it should have been coming from underground.😃

John
 
I am willing to bet that the devil’s wife is NOT Puerto Rican. I am and I go to great lengths to avoid fighting with her. Boricua women are vicious.
 
I also heard the saying that when a tiny newborn smiles in its sleep that the angels are talking to him or her.
Click to expand...
A Sister told me that when my dd was a baby. I’d never heard it before.
 
OK, I think I’ve found something…

Merriam Webster

But we did dig up one useful detail. It seems that today’s meteorological commentary on rain during sunshine was originally attributed to Thor, the Norse god of thunder, weather, and crops. Not only was Thor credited with creating thunder each time he felled an evil giant in the sky, but he also was blamed for beating his wife when the rain fell during sunny weather. But after Christianity replaced Norse mythology, thunder was attributed to the angels bowling and the juxtaposition of rain and sunshine was pinned on the devil.

No Hungary mentioned here, but the explaination seems plausible!

Thanks for the interesting question!
 
I will send this on to my Mother-in-Law.

We would never have guessed this one!

Stephanie
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top