[kwhitefoot]

> "raining buckets"

Really? Which part of the UK does that come from. Where I come from *Nort Wilts.) the related phrase would be "It's bucketing down!" but I've never heard anyone say "It's raining buckets!".

[parrellel]

Raining Buckets is definitely still in use in America, and shows up enough in old books? Linguistic drift?

[jasonhansel]

Where I am (Boston area) "raining cats and dogs" seems to be the more common idiom.

[andrew_]

"raining cats and dogs" also popular in the U.S.

[denton-scratch]

I just stepped on a poodle.

[humanistbot]

It's more "buckets of rain"

[nickcox]

Also from north Wilts and I'm pretty sure I've heard (and used) both forms.

[adelie]

it's a common expression here in the US, at least! unsure about the UK.

[eru]

It would be exceedingly funny, if the expression had become idiomatic in the US, _because_ of the book.

(However, it might have come to US English from Spanish which is pretty close to Portuguese and thus ultimately from the same source as the book?)

[anthk]

Spanish has "llover a cántaros" too.