Cats+and+Dogs

Houses used to have thatched roofs of thick straw, piled high with no wood underneath. It was the one place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats, and other small animals (mice, rats, and bugs) lived in the roof.

When it rained it became slippery, and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof, hence the saying, "**// Its Raining Cats and Dogs." //**

There was also nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom, when bugs and other dropping really did mess up your clean bed.

Hence, the usage of a bed with big posts with a sheet hung over the top which afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "**// Dirt Poor." //**

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh ( Straw ) on the floor to help keep their footing.

As the winter wore on, they kept adding more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside.

A piece of wood was then placed in the doorway, hence, a the name "**// Threshold". //**