First I lost my keys, then my car broke down; when it rains it pours.
when it rains it pours
idiomEverything is going wrong at once
Origin
first recorded 18th c.From the older proverb 'It never rains but it pours' (used as a title by John Arbuthnot, 1726); the modern form was popularised by Morton Salt's 1914 advertising slogan.
After months of quiet, three major appliances broke in the same week, proving that when it rains it pours.
The company faced a sudden lawsuit just as their main factory closed, illustrating the old saying that when it rains it pours during a crisis.
Last updated June 7, 2026