1.
dog and monkey; (figuratively) two parties who get along badly
Literally "dog and monkey," animals proverbially said to fight on sight. Used almost exclusively in the idiom 犬猿の仲 to describe two people on extremely bad terms.
二人は犬猿の仲だ。
The two of them are bitter enemies.
兄弟なのに犬猿の仲で、ほとんど話さない。
Although they are brothers, they are on terrible terms and hardly speak.
かつては犬猿の仲だった両国も、今では協力し合っている。
The two countries, once bitter rivals, now cooperate with each other.
Almost always appears in the set phrase 犬猿の仲 ("on dog-and-monkey terms"), describing people who cannot get along. Rarely used alone.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 犬猿の仲: bitter enemies; on very bad terms
- 犬猿の仲になる: to become bitter enemies
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 不仲: discord — plain description of a poor relationship, without the vivid imagery