Morton Salt Coined This Famous Phrase

Morton Salt is a household seasoning in many homes. You might recognize the tubular dark blue packaging and, if not, you likely know the Morton Salt Girl. She has served as the brand's logo since 1914. But are you familiar with the famous tagline?

"When it rains, it pours."

What Dinner at Home Was Like 50 Years Ago

Today, the phrase means that when something bad happens, other bad things usually happen at the same time. But in the early 1900s, it was designed to emphasize the quality of the salt — that it would flow seamlessly from the spout, even in damp weather.

The logo affirmed the catchphrase too. It showed the Morton Salt Girl in the rain, holding an umbrella with one hand and her package of Morton Salt in the other. It's tipped ever so slightly, and the tiny mineral pieces are pouring out like a waterfall.

Other iterations of the phrase that didn't make the cut include: "Even in rainy weather, it flows freely," "Flows freely," "Runs freely," "Pours," and the old proverb, "It never rains, but it pours," which marketers thought sounded too negative. So, they landed on a positive rephrasing: "When it rains, it pours." Although it's widely recognized as a gloomy metaphor now, the spokesgirl it's tied to remains one of the most iconic food mascots of all time.