When it rains, it pours.

Payal goes to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.  She is earning her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in three years and is beginning her application process for dentistry school.  She was born and raised in the city of Cypress, which lies in the city of Orange County south of Los Angeles.

When Payal told me this common phrase, she was talking about our multiple upcoming due dates for homework assignments, exams, and papers  for multiple classes.  She was saying how when there are no assignments due, there are also no exams or papers going on at the same time.  However, when there are homework assignments due, there are numerous exams and papers that will be due at the same time as well.  Once again, she sighed, “When it rains, it pours.”

Payal said that she does not remember when she first heard this saying, but she thinks that she was really young.  Similarly, she didn’t remember the context by which she learned the saying as well.  To her, the saying mean that whenever things start going bad or things start piling on, many things start going bad and piling on all at once.

I probably first learned this quote when I was a child.  I do not remember exactly what context I learned it either.  It may have been through a television show.  Similarly to Payal, I agree that the saying means that when bad things or a multitude of things start happening and piling on, many things either start going bad or continue to pile on top of each other.