veiller au grain

== French == === Etymology === Expression arises from maritime use: grain is a sudden, violent gust of wind, accompanied with or without rain; veiller au grain means to watch for, or be on guard for, unpredictable meteorological events that can endanger an ill-prepared crew or damage a frail, poorly sheltered boat. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /vɛ.je o ɡʁɛ̃/ ~ /ve.je o ɡʁɛ̃/, (more formal) /vɛ.je.ʁ‿o ɡʁɛ̃/ ~ /ve.je.ʁ‿o ɡʁɛ̃/ === Verb === veiller au grain (literal) to be on guard for a sudden, violent gust of wind (figurative) to keep an eye on things, to look out for squalls, to keep a weather eye open