Entre chien et loup

You have to hand it to the French. They have some brilliant expressions.

I’ve just come across ‘entre chien et loup’, a phrase which describes the time of day which in English we call ‘twilight’.

Twilight is the time of day, early morning or late evening,  when the sun is not directly visible and the light (such as it is) is merely sunlight reflected in the upper atmosphere.

Digressing slightly, the word ‘dusk’ is the darkest part of twilight. The minutes or seconds before the last rays of the sun (bouncing about in the upper atmosphere) disappear and all becomes inky black. Or not if you live in a city. Dusk only refers to the evening twilight.

‘Entre chien et loup’ or in English ‘between dog and wolf’ is the time of day (or night) when we can make out the outlines/shadows or silhouettes or objects but can’t exactly distinguish between them.

Is that a wolf? Or maybe my hound?  Or a monster …

Besos and baci,

MF

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