Duck cold! French phrases to use for chilly weather

FRANCE'S CURRENT COLD SPELL IS SET TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS - WE REMIND YOU OF FRENCH EXPRESSIONS TO USE TO DESCRIBE THE DROP IN TEMPERATURE France is facing a cold snap at the

moment, with national average temperatures around 5C colder than usual averages. Read more: Temperatures to drop as low as -10C: French weather outlook January 13 - 17 Below are four useful

expressions to use when describing the weather (a pastime common in France just as in the UK) to help you sound like a native speaker.  1: IL FAIT UN FROID DE CANARD One common expression

is _il fait un froid de canard_ (it is duck cold). This phrase refers to duck hunting, which takes place around late autumn or early winter, during the migration period when hunters have to

stay still in the cold weather waiting for their prey to come close. Some say the expression may be inspired by very cold days when lakes and ponds are frozen over, meaning ducks are more

exposed and vulnerable, or by the chilly moments at dawn or dusk when the birds are landing on or taking off from a lake and an easy target. 2: UN TEMPS DE CHIEN Horrible weather (both wet

and cold), is referred to as _un temps de chien_ (dog weather) – not very polite about man’s best friend! Our ancestors’ poor opinion of dogs is also reflected by the expression _il fait un

temps à ne pas laisser un chien dehors_ (it’s weather you wouldn’t [even] leave a dog out in). Relating to a similar animal, a slightly less common expression for bitter cold is _faire__ un

froid de loup_ (to be wolf cold) which, in areas like Franche-Comté, referred to weather when there was a danger that wolves would come out of hiding in search of food – and farmers needed

to be wary for their livestock. 3: ÇA CAILLE! On such a day you may remark _ça caille_! This comes from _cailler_, meaning to curdle (ie: it is so cold your blood is starting to thicken in

lumps…), not _la caille_ – the quail. 4: TREMPÉ COMME UNE SOUPE If you go out in dog weather you will probably end up _trempé comme une soupe_ – literally, soaked as a soup. It sounds rather

obvious that soup is wet – but this is said to go back to the medieval meaning of _soupe_, which was originally a slice of bread soaked in broth, not the liquid itself. LESS COOL

ALTERNATIVES: FRAIS, FROID, OR FRISQUET And finally, remember if you want to say the weather is cool, the word is _frais_ (fresh) – which is that bit less bitter than _froid_. A relaxed

alternative, meaning ‘a little bit chilly’, is _frisquet_.