entre chien et loup

French

Etymology

Calque of Latin inter canem et lupum (“between a dog and a wolf”), because at that time in the day, one can't see the difference. Traditional sentiment, dating to antiquity (found in 2nd century CE texts), in French from the 18th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.tʁə ʃjɛ̃ e lu/

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• Audio

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Adverb

entre chien et loup

1. (literally) between a dog and a wolf
2. (by extension, idiomatic) at dusk, at twilight; gloaming
   • 1999, Anna Gavalda, “Petites pratiques germanopratines”, in Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part, →ISBN:

     Entre chien et loup, le boulevard s’est apaisé et les voitures sont en veilleuse.

     At dusk, the boulevard is quiet and the cars have their side lights on.

3. (photography) golden hour (used in same technical sense for “good photographic light at twilight”)

Usage notes

If used in poetic sense, witching hour, which describes a different time of day, when it is darker, but is similarly idiomatic, may provide a more evocative translation.

Synonyms

• brunante
• crépuscule
• heure bleue
• à la tombée de la nuit