devil's beating his wife

English

Alternative forms

the devil's beating his wife
the devil is beating his wife

Interjection

devil 's beating his wife

(Southern US) Said when it rains while the sun is shining; that is, when a sunshower occurs.

Usage notes

"Devil" is sometimes capitalized.

Translations

interjection uttered when it rains while the sun is shining

Afrikaans: jakkals trou met wolf se vrou (literally “jackal is marrying wolf's wife”)
Catalan: lo diable tupa la dona (literally "the Devil is beating his wife", Mallorca)
Dutch: het is kermis in de hel (literally “it is a fair in hell”)
Finnish: ketut kylpevät (literally "the foxes are bathing")

French: le diable bat sa femme et marie sa fille (fr) (literally "the Devil is beating his wife and marrying his daughter")
German: Frau Holle hat Kirmes (literally "Mother Holle is having a fair")
Portuguese: sol e chuva casamento de viúva (literally “sun and rain widow's wedding”), chuva e sol casamento de espanhol (literally “rain and sun Spaniard's wedding”)

See also

the old woman is plucking her goose

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