犬けん猿えん

noun

dogs and monkeys; cats and dogs

Bound form used almost exclusively in the idiom 犬猿の仲 (けんえんのなか), meaning a relationship of mutual hatred like cats and dogs. The literal gloss 'dogs and monkeys' reflects the Japanese animal pair, while 'cats and dogs' is the English cultural equivalent for a bad relationship.

See also: 犬猿の仲

• あの二人ふたりは犬けん猿えんの仲なかだ。

  Those two are like cats and dogs.

• 「犬けん猿えん」という言こと葉ばは、ふつう「犬けん猿えんの仲なか」という形かたちで使つかわれる。

  The word 犬猿 is usually used in the phrase 犬猿の仲.