come a gullywasher
A hard, sudden rainstorm is on the way or already dumping.
Also called coming a gullywasher, gully washer.
Updated September 21, 2026
come a gullywasher pronunciation
/kum uh GULL-ee-wah-sher/
Meaning
When folks say it's coming a gullywasher, they mean rain hard enough to tear down ditches and send muddy water racing. The "come a" bit is Southern weather talk for something bearing down on you. A gullywasher is short, fierce, and mean on dirt roads and creek banks, cousin to a frog strangler.
How folks use it
- “Look at that sky. It's about to come a gullywasher.”
- “We got the hay in just before it come a gullywasher and drowned the field.”
Origin and etymology
Gullywasher is American rural slang from the early 1900s: rain strong enough to wash out a gully. Written evidence shows up around 1903. Southern and Midland speakers pair it with regional "come a" / "coming a" constructions to warn that the storm is arriving. The picture is farm and mountain weather, not a weather-channel label.
Frequently asked questions
Is a gullywasher the same as a frog strangler?
Same idea: a hard dump of rain. Gullywasher leans on water tearing through ditches. Frog strangler just piles on the exaggeration.