IdiomAnimalsFrench

À la queue leu leu

Meaning: In single file, one behind another.

Literally: In wolf-wolf tail

Example: “Les canetons suivaient leur mère à la queue leu leu.” — The ducklings followed their mother in single file.

Origin: Leu is the Old French for wolf, before loup replaced it, and the phrase describes wolves traveling nose to tail. The doubling is a fossil of a construction meaning tail-of-wolf-wolf, which is why it reads as nonsense now.

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