IdiomNatureFrench

L'été indien

Meaning: A spell of unseasonably warm weather in autumn.

Literally: The Indian summer

Example: “Grâce à l'été indien, on a encore déjeuné en terrasse fin octobre.” — Thanks to the Indian summer, we were still eating lunch outside at the end of October.

English equivalent: Indian summer

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: Borrowed from North American English, where it is recorded from the 18th century, though why it is Indian was never settled even there. French adopted it wholesale in the 20th century.

More French idioms

Explore another collection: Proverbs

Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.

Browse all proverbs →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →