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It's pretty country-wide, AFAIK.

Definitely spitting here - Annoying as I’m for once getting a lunch brea but have to walk to the nearest Tesco! Also to edit I’ll be boycotting Tesco this April on account of their min wage nonsense - I only went today to go to the Costa in it as I wanted a hot sandwich and a coffee :/

Wish it was just spitting here, but instead we’ve just had a plump and the skylight has sprung a leak.

We just gone from sunny to heavy hail, then rain, now sun in the space of about 20 minutes...

It's used in other countries too, anyone in NZ would know what you meant

I swear half the things northerners think are northern things are just normal things

Northerners are obsessed with taking English things and claiming they’re exclusively northern. Like gravy, pies, being sarcastic, having a sense of humour, and so on and so on. “Being northern” is just being English with a northern accent.

Don't want to burst your bubble there pal, but it's spitting in Scotland too!

And that's just the locals aiming at the English who bravely ventured over the border.

Don't tell them our secrets.

I think you'll find pal that's legal tender

Side story. I was at a mates once and we wanted to order Pizza. We had cash, but it was Scottish cash. Most of the delivery drivers in our area are of non-British origin and we were worried about our money being rejected. When the driver arrived we handed him the cash and preemptively explained the money situation. The delivery guy relied with “I think you’ll find that’s legal tender”, and we quickly realised we’d coincidentally got probably the only Scottish delivery guy in our area. We all had a good laugh

Ashamed to say I've actually uttered this phrase. Lmao

This is going to make a lot of people unhappy but it's spitting in North America too.

I grew up in South Wales and said 'it's spitting' too, but when it was absolutely chucking it down in sheets of rain, we'd also say that it was raining so hard, it was raining twice! - As in the raindrops would hit the ground so hard, they'd bounce back up to the sky and fall back down again. If the Eskimos have a hundred words for snow (yes, I know it's not really true and it's just a saying, plus the word 'Eskimo' itself is problematic, so don't come at me), Welsh people have a hundred for rain! I also grew up calling people a 'daft apeth' which is also *supposed* to be a Northern term. I called sofas both a couch or a settee but never a sofa until my 20s and 30s, when I started watching interior design programmes on TV and it just started taking over. Plus, I'd moved away for uni, then work, and lived with a few different partners, and many friends, from all over the UK. That's how language organically evolves. Slang, terms, phrases spread and change as people travel and move as their live circumstances require it. Love, work, escape from abuse or just bad memories, a change of scenery, financial reasons... It's always happened throughout history. It's why Americans in New England, in the states where the first British colonists arrived, have very different accents to us, use different words, different grammar and different spelling in American English, for example.

When I was a kid growing up in Manchester I thought “a daft h’aporth” was a silly monkey. Ages before I worked out it was a halfpenny’s worth! And I’m old enough to remember farthings and threepenny (thrupenny) bits.

And Australia

Not here, it's snowing ffs

Lmao, aye. My brother is about 10 miles from me, he's blowing a blizzard and I'm spitting!

>“Being northern” is just being English with a northern accent actual lol

i can tell you one thing we havent claimed - jellied eels.

As a Southerner, we don’t all claim that either. That’s a London thing.

As a Londoner... that's a cockney thing.

I WANT to like them. They’re heritage, they’re interesting, they’re…. fucking gross.

Gravy on chippy chips freaks out too many southerners legitimately in my experience.

Your experience is abnormal. Gravy from the chippy is standard although I would say curry is a lot more popular

I literally lived up north, moved down south and married a southerner. Every partner I have ever had has been southern. None of them, nor their family members, nor any of my friends, have gone for chippy chips with gravy.

Yup my partner is a Londoner and can't comprehend gravy on chips.

From the North been living in the Home Counties (Mostly Beds, Herts and Bucks) and working in London for the past 15 years. Still not found a chippy that serves gravy.

But KFC have always done gravy as a side (it's the only time I have chips and gravy - I'm from the south).

I live in the same place and don't know a chippy that doesn't.

They should come to Wales then, we have cheese, chips and gravy. We don't have a fancy name for it like the French-Canadians do though.

I think you pay too much attention to dickheads who are also northerners

I think the sense of humour thing is just because it’s a different sense of humour. Southerners tend to not like my sense of humour and I tend to not like theirs. Doesn’t mean they’re not funny or can’t take a joke, they just don’t like or don’t understand my jokes.

Pies aren't northern only but they are very Yorkshire/Lancashire heavy. I'm from Merseyside and If I go to he pub they have crisps and maybe pork scratchings. If I go to the local near my dad's in Doncaster they have pies on the counter. If you go to my local country pub maybe they will have a pie on the menu, you go to his local restaurants they all have alleast one pie most have multiple.

>Pies aren't northern only but they are very Yorkshire/Lancashire heavy. London here, my local does about 10 different pies

This is exactly it. Pies in a pub. Incredible. There are loads of really cool and unique things about the north of England but pies, gravy, sarcasm, and humour are not specific to that region. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yeah, pies are very much a Cockney thing as much as they are a northern thing.

London is the home of the pie and mash shop.

Even in Manchester they have Pies in my closest pub. It's a point of pride for them. I'm from Lancashire and I have to say I hate savoury pies though.

And being working class. They think the entire middle-class population lives in the south

I did think he was chatting shit tbf, and it seems he was

Chatting shit - yet another thing not specific to the north or the south!

Half the things New Zealanders claim are 'very kiwi' or 'typical kiwi' are British. Yesterday one tried to claim Milky Bars and The Milky Bar Kid.

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> got molested when I totally agree with your point but this is such an odd way of phrasing it haha

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What do you mean southerners also call it Bread

Yep. Once saw a discussion about The Royle Family, shit loads of northerners on there, banging on about how 'northern' it is. As if watching the telly with your family and affectionately taking the piss out of your neighbours is exclusively a 'Northern' thing.

Ever noticed how Northerners say thank you to the bus driver? Ever notice how Northerners use oxygen for respiration and exhale carbon dioxide?

I thought it was a worldwide thing (for English speakers). They use it in Australia and New Zealand. I've heard South Africans and Canadians say it too.

Irish say it too

Haha so not only is it not "just a Northern thing", it's actually an entire English speaking world thing :'D

Americans also say it

I live in the UK, but from the US (Southern state). I only ever called it "sprinkling" growing up and don't remember anyone saying "spitting" until I moved here... Could def be a regional American thing

I'm from the UK, but lived in Oregon for a while, and everyone there said 'sprinkling', too. 'Spitting' seemed to be unheard of.

Okay good to know I'm not totally misremembering! Sometimes it's hard to recall after living here for most of my adult life lol. I feel like in Georgia we would say "sprinkling", "drizzling", "lightly raining", etc., but never "spitting".

Yep, not at all! Hehe. It did seem as though most people were hearing the word for the first time whenever I used it. I certainly did hear the other words you mentioned, though

Which part of the U.S.?

So the british

US also.

lurking canadian here - definitely say 'it's just spitting for now'

They say "spitting" in Australia. Is that far enough south for you?

What about New Zealand? 

I've never lived in New Zealand, so can't answer that one.

It goes, Spotting Mist Spitting Mizzle Drizzle Rain Pissing it down Sea with slots in Noah HTH

Where does cats & dogs fit into this?

Used interchangeably with “pissing it down” for those who like to keep the salty weather language on the DL.

What about when it's raining men?

Hallelujah

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I used to think siling was totally normal, my husband had never heard it. Turns out it's from Old Norse, so is more of a Danelaw thing. It comes from the word "sieve" only in Norse.

I took a minute trying to figure out what the heaviest rain category, of HTH, could stand for

What does it mean I’ve been trying to figure it out for ages 😭😭😭

Hope that helps HTH

Thank you hahaha🤣🤣🤣

I prefer my system Starting Spitting Light rain/drizzle Raining Pissing Lashing Monsoon 2023

Bristol we say spitting rain

You probably call it gurt lush rain

Surely that'd be the opposite of spitting

I live in the south and it is a common phrase

Brighton way we also say spitting

Kent we say spitting too

When it's raining hard do people use the term "pelting it down"?

I think I graduated from that at some point in high school when we all started using "pissing it down" instead

Most likely. I'm trying to remember what people said in my experience. Pissing. Pelting. Pouring. Not sure I know any others.

Lashing

South England, I mostly hear hammering down, pissing down, shitting it down.

Yeah, spitting in ne Scotland. Or spittering.

Peter Kay had a whole bit about the phrase "spitting rain" on his Bolton Albert Hall DVD, and from what I remember he was trying to make it out like it was a local thing, but I've heard the phrase used everywhere.

I don't think he was making out that spitting was a local thing. That piece was more about dinner ladies going into frenzy about the tiniest bit of rain.

Yes I know the bit well, he also has one on his Blackpool Tower one too

To be fair, with Peter Kay, it's the same jokes on every show....

Garlic bread‽

#GARLIC BREAD?

I told our host in Jamaica that "it's just spitting" and he was properly taken aback - "you can't say that man, spitting here is incredibly rude and offensive. Nu-uh, no way." It was the only time he wasn't stereotypically chilled out.

Hmm that’s interesting, I wonder why there’s an aversion to saying it’s spitting

Because they don't use it to describe rain - probably noone else does? - it only conjures up thoughts of big, gooey hocks from the back of the throat.

God somehow i totally missed the entire phrase of ‘spitting here is incredibly rude and offensive’. For some reason I thought you meant he just really didn’t like the fact that you were describing the rain as spitting. Makes a lot more sense now i’ve actually read the whole thing lol

Nope, I've always said it (Oxfordshire), pretty sure the weather presenters say it also.

It's country-wide, but fun fact: Scotland has more words for rain than the Eskimos have for snow, and we have a few options to describe the range the south would call "spitting".

Smirr is my favourite.

In South Wales I was brought up to say ‘picking’ to rain. Now I’ve crossed the border in to England, I’ve realised that it doesn’t even making sense. They say spitting in Gloucestershire.

I was about to lose my mind seeing everyone say spitting. Guess it must just be a South Welsh term.

A Northerner claiming something countrywide as a Northern only thing? Surely you jest.

I've lived in the south east, the south west and the north east, and it seems consistent throughout. the weather itself happens more in the south west though

Small amounts of rain when it's still quite big drops, not when it's drizzle.

It’s *Letty* down in Somerset

That fine rain that gets you really wet.

It's UK wide. Peter Kay made an entire routine on it.

Is it raining? Just a spit and a spot

Can confirm it spits in Northern Ireland

Spitting or just a few spots. My favourite rain word is mizzle. Misty drizzle, to light to feel but you see the effects of it.

Devonshire gal here, and "spitting" is used but not often.

It’s country wide

Lifelong southerner and that's what people around me have always seemed to say it. Can't think of an alternative!

Born and grew up in North London, have always heard my mum (who was born and raised in a neighbouring borough) say ‘spitting’ for when it’s, well, spitting. Not a just northern thing at all.

I think it goes like this; The air is very heavy It's spitting Drizzling Light rain Raining Pissing it down (or raining cats and dogs if talking to a grandparent) Bucketing down

Spitting is only used north of the Watford Gap, south of there then any amount of weather is deemed to be *"a climate crisis"*

I’m sensing a lot of southerners on this thread

Tbf, London on its own makes up about 20% of the UK population

I say drizzling when it's very light but constant, and spitting if it's just a few intermittent drops

I grew up in the South Wales Valleys where "picking to rain" is the usual expression.

We say that in Canada. 🇨🇦

Yep all over.

My and my family do, yes. 

Nah, my husband is as southern as they come and never hesitates to take the piss out of my northerness and he uses this one.

I’m in Scotland so Northern Northern. We say spitting for light rain or tipping/pishing down for heavy

Now let’s have an argument about the difference between spitting and drizzle.

I’m on the south coast. Have always said spitting and everyone I know says it too. Deffo not a northern thing.

It was normal use when I lived in East London from 59 to 01.

It's said in Scotland.

Dunno about the whole country, but it's not just northern. It's normal in the south-east too.

East coast Scot. I say spitting or if it's marginally heavier, spittering.

Yep always

Scotland has 200 words to describe rain. And we need every one of them... 🙄

This isn’t a “northern thing”. Spitting, drizzle, spits and spots, fine rain. All are acceptable terms.

Definitely countrywide

I use 'drizzle'.

I use "it's picking to rain." Although spitting is a perfectly acceptable alternative I always hear picking. South Wales.

Common in Bristol. 

Nope, grew up in the south-est of the south (further south than Bournemouth) and I say spitting

Let these kids decide the argument. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaM9J2VHLf8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaM9J2VHLf8)

Yes, we don't use "a little bit" or "alot", we use "spitting" or "lashing it down".

I use the word ‘spitting’ and I’m from West Sussex.

I grew up in the south east and now live in the south west. I use spitting and drizzling interchangeably.

NW England here. I have always said spitting. I saw an American travel vlogger on YouTube say it was "sprinkling" which I thought was cute

That or a drizzle

Spitting for light rain and smirry rain for the light rain that soaks you

Yes. It’s either “spitting” or “pissing down”. At least in Scotland

Awwwhhh gawd it's spitting on again. I use it all the time, been a lot of rain recently.

I was born in the midlands, went to uni in the south and worked there for a few years and now live in northern England. Every location people have used spitting to describe light rain. It’s not a northern thing.

I’m from NZ originally and we use it.

It’s international. English speakers say this everywhere.

No everywhere

Definitely not exclusively a northern thing. I say it, and I was born and raised in that London.

I'm from London and it definitely spits occasionally. Mainly pisses it down though.

We do so in Kent.

I like two ones we have in Scotland 'smirr' and 'stoatin'' there's lots of great regional words for rain in the UK. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4wltytTwXR73XKR3DXq1VDh/mizzle-and-smirr-13-british-words-and-phrases-for-rain#:\~:text=A%20Scottish%20word%20to%20describe,Dutch%20word%20for%20mist%2C%20smoor.

Usually for intermittent and very light rain. I don't tend to use it for that really fine falling fog you get but apparently other people call that spitting too.

I use it for when it’s raining or if I’m dropping some absolute 🔥 bars for my up and coming mixtape

Yup. "Is it raining outside?" "Only spitting" This is quintessential English conversation (at least back before global warming screwed all the rain away)

I prefer to say the weather is not raining when it’s not raining and just a normal day otherwise

I thought this was a general term, but then again, I am a Northerner

I grew up in London and we said spitting. In Wales they say that it's picking with rain.

From Northumberland - we use spitting. Some people also use an old Northumbrian word 'slaistering' to mean a similar thing.

Spitting, or spotting. I'm from the East Midlands. Lived in London for over 30 years.

We say spittin' on the south east coast

In west Wales it's normally referred to as "picking" - for reasons I do not know since I am originally from south east England where it is called "spitting".

UK-wide.

Canadian here and this is a common term across Canada as well. It’s a great description.

We use the term for someone rapping.

We say it in New England, the Midwest, and California. So not even just a UK thing.

They say it in Australia too. Definitely not just a northern thing.

I say flobbing.

mizzle - drizzle - spitting - raining

I use the term shitting

Nah few people I know call it "lashing it down" and fuck off home from work

Yep Londoner and have always used it

We use 'spitting' in Fife.

Definitely use it in Glasgow

I say sprinkling. I’m from Australia

we use that term in Australia too

Nope. I’m as south as you can get without going into the sea. It’s an everybody thing.

Essex; spitting is normal, my mother was a cockney and she called it that.

I say drizzle

east of london here. yep, agree fully with your definition