Difference between revisions of "Language/French/Culture/Funny-idiomatic-expressions"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
==Faire quelque chose à l’oeil== | ==Faire quelque chose à l’oeil== | ||
le faire gratuitement | le faire gratuitement | ||
<blockquote>Doing it for free</blockquote> | |||
==Faire quelque chose aux frais de la princesse== | ==Faire quelque chose aux frais de la princesse== | ||
le faire gratuitement | le faire gratuitement | ||
<blockquote>Doing it for free</blockquote> | |||
==avoir un nom à coucher dehors== | ==avoir un nom à coucher dehors== | ||
avoir un nom difficile à écrire ou à prononcer | avoir un nom difficile à écrire ou à prononcer | ||
<blockquote>have a name that is difficult to write or pronounce</blockquote> | |||
==être à la bourre== | ==être à la bourre== | ||
être très en retard | être très en retard | ||
<blockquote>Be very late</blockquote> | |||
==se tirer la bourre== | ==se tirer la bourre== | ||
se battre pour gagner | se battre pour gagner | ||
<blockquote>Fight to win</blockquote> | |||
== Aboyer au mauvais arbre == | == Aboyer au mauvais arbre == | ||
*Litteraly: Barking up the wrong tree | *Litteraly: Barking up the wrong tree | ||
| Line 23: | Line 25: | ||
se réfère au chien de chasse qui aboie au pied d'un arbre sans proie. | se réfère au chien de chasse qui aboie au pied d'un arbre sans proie. | ||
<blockquote>refers to the hunting dog that barks at the foot of a tree without prey.</blockquote> | |||
== Avoir le cœur sur la main == | == Avoir le cœur sur la main == | ||
| Line 30: | Line 33: | ||
==C'est un secret de polichinelle== | ==C'est un secret de polichinelle== | ||
*Meaning: it's | *Meaning: it's an open secret | ||
*Example: Il élude toujours les questions pièges sur ses préférences politiques, mais c'est un secret de polichinelle. Source: Le Monde (2001) | *Example: Il élude toujours les questions pièges sur ses préférences politiques, mais c'est un secret de polichinelle. Source: Le Monde (2001) | ||
<blockquote>He always dodges trick questions about his political preferences, but it's an open secret.</blockquote> | |||
==Il a gagné la course "les doigts dans le nez"== | ==Il a gagné la course "les doigts dans le nez"== | ||
*Litteraly: He won the race with his fingers in the nose | *Litteraly: He won the race with his fingers in the nose | ||
| Line 42: | Line 46: | ||
== Dur à avaler == | == Dur à avaler == | ||
* Litteraly: Hard to swallow, hard to believe | * Litteraly: Hard to swallow, hard to believe | ||
* Meaning: difficile à croire, difficile à admettre | * Meaning: difficile à croire, difficile à admettre | ||
| Line 54: | Line 57: | ||
== Mettre la main à la pâte == | == Mettre la main à la pâte == | ||
* Litteraly: Have a finger in the pie | * Litteraly: Have a finger in the pie | ||
* Meaning: Have an interest in or meddle in something. | |||
The truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward. | The truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward. | ||
Revision as of 11:53, 30 December 2020
Funny French Idioms
Voici quelques expressions idiomatiques utiles en français.
Here are some useful idioms in French.
Faire quelque chose à l’oeil
le faire gratuitement
Doing it for free
Faire quelque chose aux frais de la princesse
le faire gratuitement
Doing it for free
avoir un nom à coucher dehors
avoir un nom difficile à écrire ou à prononcer
have a name that is difficult to write or pronounce
être à la bourre
être très en retard
Be very late
se tirer la bourre
se battre pour gagner
Fight to win
Aboyer au mauvais arbre
- Litteraly: Barking up the wrong tree
- Meaning: Looking in the wrong place, accusing the wrong person
se réfère au chien de chasse qui aboie au pied d'un arbre sans proie.
refers to the hunting dog that barks at the foot of a tree without prey.
Avoir le cœur sur la main
- Litteraly: To have the heart on the hand
- Meaning: Une personne qui a le cœur sur la main est une personne très généreuse.
The truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward.
C'est un secret de polichinelle
- Meaning: it's an open secret
- Example: Il élude toujours les questions pièges sur ses préférences politiques, mais c'est un secret de polichinelle. Source: Le Monde (2001)
He always dodges trick questions about his political preferences, but it's an open secret.
Il a gagné la course "les doigts dans le nez"
- Litteraly: He won the race with his fingers in the nose
- Meaning: He won the race very easily
C'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité
- Meaning: Someone who doesn't give a damn about an individual's fault, which he himself has.
- Origin: Here, the word "hospital" refers to a medical establishment since the 17th century. This establishment was managed by a principal, who called himself "charity". The hospital, having nothing to envy of charity, therefore has no valid reason to mock it. This is where the fun side of the phrase lies, a certain irony. This therefore qualifies a person who makes fun of someone who has the same fault as her.
Dur à avaler
- Litteraly: Hard to swallow, hard to believe
- Meaning: difficile à croire, difficile à admettre
Faire l'autruche / pratiquer la politique de l'autruche
We use this expression to talk about someone who refuses to face reality and prefers to bury his head in the ground "like an ostrich".
écraser une mouche avec un marteau-pilon
- Litteraly: crush a fly with a hammer
- Meaning: Take disproportionate measures to resolve a problem.
Mettre la main à la pâte
- Litteraly: Have a finger in the pie
- Meaning: Have an interest in or meddle in something.
The truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward.