rain on someone's parade

present singular third person rains on someone's parade · participle present raining on someone's parade · participle past rained on someone's parade · past rained on someone's parade

1. idiomaticTo spoil someone's celebration.

   Sanju Baba, we learn, is rather miffed at the way Kunder rained on his parade and took away the spotlight from Agneepath's success.

   2012 January 31, “Shah Rukh Khan, Shirish Kunder's drama ends”, in Times of India, Bollywood

   1 more example

   “Given that Europe is still shrouded by the cloud of recession, a weak PMI -- though not rain on the parade -- will surely damp investor sentiment,” said Manish Singh, the London-based head of investment at Crossbridge Capital

   2012 February 22, “European Stocks Fall on Worse-Than-Expected PMI Data; TUI Drops”, in Bloomberg Business Week

2. figurativelyTo disappoint or discourage someone by ruining or criticizing their plans or aspirations.

   I hate to rain on your parade, but lots of people have tried that strategy and it hasn't worked yet.

   2 more examples

   If someone takes a spill / It's me and not you / Who told you you're allowed / To rain on my parade?

   1964, Bob Merrill, Jule Styne, “Don't Rain on My Parade”, in Funny Girl, performed by Barbra Streisand

   Umm... Not to rain on your parade, but wouldn't a more mature song be best?

   2007 March 16, Capcom Production Studio 4, quoting Phoenix, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All, Europe: Capcom, →OCLC, Nintendo DS, scene: Part 3: Investigation, Circus Entrance, level/area: Turnabout Big Top

   Synonyms: burst someone's bubble, piss in someone's cereal, piss in someone's Cheerios, piss in someone's cornflakes, piss on someone's chips, piss on someone's bonfire, piss on someone's campfire, put a damper on