pour down

pour down

1. To cause a liquid or loose substance to flow downward and into something that carries it away, such as a drain. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "pour" and "down." It's a shame to pour such nice wine down the drain, but I can't drink anymore, or I'll get a horrible headache. He poured the soapy water down the gutter after he finished washing his car.
2. To rain or fall down in a shower (on someone or something). After nearly two weeks of drought, it was such a relief for the rain to come pouring down again. Green slime poured down on the contestant after she answered the question incorrectly.
3. To cause some liquid or loose substance to fall down in a shower on someone or something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "pour" and "down." The castle defenders poured boiling oil down on the attackers below the ramparts. Someone poured sand down on us from that bridge up there.
4. To be gifted to someone in great abundance; to grace someone with a lot of something. Praise for the director's debut film poured down on her debut film from critics across the globe. We must always be thankful for the good fortune that has poured down on us since we first built this farm two years ago.
5. To grace or gift something to someone in great abundance. The bosses always pour compliments down on Janet, even though she does half as much work as the rest of us. I truly believe God pours his blessings down on those who cherish His words in their hearts.
See also: down, pour
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

pour down

 (on someone or something)
1. Lit. [for water, as with rain] to shower down on someone. The rain poured down on us, soaking us to the bone.
2. Fig. [for blessings, criticism, praise, kudos, etc.] to flow down on someone or something. Criticism poured down on the mayor until he resigned. Blessings poured down on the early settlers in the form of good harvests and plentiful game.
See also: down, pour
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • back into
  • back into (someone or something)
  • angle
  • angling
  • replenish
  • replenish (someone or something) with (something)
  • replenish with
  • orient
  • orient to
  • orient to (something)
References in periodicals archive
in the next few days you will receive a windfall of pounds 169,000 which will pour down like "manna from heaven."
THE JUDGE: Faker Bella's at it again
"When Sadness Comes Pouring Down": How sadness comes down / like a gray cloud out of the clear sky / Oh what a startling surprise / when the rain begins to pour down / with that drenching sound /What was once a bright day / drifts slowly away / on a sail into the bay.
A Lost Soul
The leak caused water to pour down the footpath by St James' Boulevard towards flats on the corner of Westgate Road.
Breathe easy
It is so self-conscious, so apparently moral, simply to step aside from the gaps where the creeks and winds pour down, saying, I never merited this grace, quite rightly, and then to sulk along the rest of your days on the edge of rage.
Think big
The assembly appears to have plenty of money to pour down the drain - one idea being a model of the assembly being constructed and stored at a huge cost.
Why should we foot the bill?; VIEWPOINTS
It is to have an abstracted reflecting pool which will evoke the old dock, and water will pour down the wall facing the big stairs: we shall see whether the result compensates for the apparent lack of function.
Architect's house
Claire Stansfield's dress seems to pour down her body like a transparent, viscous fluid, causing her to resemble some Ovidian maiden being transformed into a river.
Bettina Rheims
(Other sources include the shammpoo, toothpaste, household cleaners, and paint you pour down the drain, plus small amoumnts from your body's wastes.) If ingested in high amounts, these metals can cause health problems in humans and other animals, says soil scientist Dave Taylor.
Back to nature
It's my birthday tomorrow, and if it doesn't pour down it'll probably snow.
Wines fit for barbies