toad-strangler en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(US, dialectal) A very heavy downpour of rain.
It rained in memory of Noah, a toad-strangler that threatened to wash them all into a gully that foamed and churned with red water
1998, Sheldon Russell, The Savage Trail:It's not what I'd call a sprinkle, and it's not a chip washer or a gully washer — it's a real regular toad-strangler, and I've seen 'em like this in Arkansas when it turns all the roads into black gumbo.
1943, James Hilton, The story of Dr. Wassell:"I mean, hit's a toad-strangler of a rain," he proffered. "I mean!" she agreed. "Reckon your daddy'll keer, me a-follerin' this-a-way?" "Reckon he mought."
1940, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, When the whippoorwill:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| toad-stranglers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
sod-soaker · lightwood-knot floater · gully-washer · frog-strangler · goose drownder · duck-drownder · sheep drowner · cob-floater · trashmover