IdiomAnimalsFrench

Un temps de chien

Meaning: Filthy, miserable weather.

Literally: A dog's weather

Example: “Quel temps de chien, on reste à la maison !” — What miserable weather; let's stay home!

Origin: Dog appears across French as an intensifier of wretchedness — un métier de chien and une vie de chien (a dog's job, a dog's life) — reflecting the low status of working dogs rather than pets. The weather is bad enough that only a dog would be left out in it.

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