 Welcome to English in a minute. From home. A parade is a traveling celebration along public streets. It's a moving party. Nothing can ruin a parade. Except, well, rain. Jonathan, this year I'm entering Washington, D.C.'s original song-a-thon contest. Anna, I hate to tell you this, but... Anna, I don't mean to rain on your parade, but that contest was last week. No! The expression to rain on someone's parade means to ruin someone's good time. If someone rains on your parade, they take away your happiness. All of it. And that's English in a minute.