Requires familiarity with "raining cats and dogs" metaphor.: Literal Minded

So yeah, this doesn't work without familiarity with the metaphor, otherwise it seems completely random.

I'm not sure what to suggest for an alternative right yet, but I'd rather this have no image at all than have this one.

Goodness. Just note it in the caption, at most.

By that logic, is "JAFAAC" acceptable if the plot context is explained in the metaphor?

I think "Raining cats and dogs" gets a pass on this one.

Oh come on. We all perceive a sliding scale of image effectiveness; it's not all or nothing.

And this seems to be rather nitpickish to me.

Matt, are you seriously suggesting that "raining cats and dogs" as a figure of speech that is obscure enough that a sizable number of people won't be familiar with it? It's been in use since the early 1700's, and googling for the whole phrase "Raining cats and dogs" returns 1,160,000 hits.

Also, You really should take a look at this thread. Please keep in mind that "no image" is not better than an OK one. If you don't have an image to suggest, or at least a suggestion for what might make a better one, please don't make IP threads just to say "pull the current picture" unless it's a bad page image.

edited 23rd Jan '12 7:16:16 AM by Madrugada

Perhaps some of the webcomic examples may provide a more suitable alternative?

EDITED IN: Or perhaps the first two panels of this Calvin And Hobbes one?

edited 23rd Jan '12 7:35:26 AM by HiddenFacedMatt

Agree with the Fox. If it were "hammerhandles and pitchforks" I might be willing to support finding another one, but "cats and dogs" is a very well-known English idiom.

Although at the same time, there are no doubt better "raining cats and dogs" images out there than this.

edited 23rd Jan '12 9:10:37 AM by Stratadrake

While there may be images that better illustrate "raining cats and dogs", I don't think there are any any images that better convey that the character is interpetring "raining cats and dogs" in a Literal-Minded fashion.

An Imagine Spot Thought Bubble is what is needed here and that is what the image shows.

I am not seeing anything wrong with the current image.

Yeah, I think the current image is fine; "Raining cats and dogs" pretty entrenched in the English language.

Suddenly I agree with this thread a lot more

Hey, the Berenstain Bears had one book full of the kids being dealt figures of speech and taking them literally. I think it was the "Trouble With Money" one, the best shot being an image of Papa Bear 'made of money'.

English is my second language and even I know what the "raining cats and dogs" metaphor means.

Pictures of cats and dogs is way better than words about taking things literally.

Wake me when it's raining blood and frogs.

If I had to guess, I'd say 9 people out of 10 know the phrase.

I say keep it.

If the 10 people are all from sub-Saharan Africa, maybe.

999 people out of 1000?