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Using these French idioms is a piece of cake !
The French are well known to be the cream on the top of gastronomy. Duck confit, choucroute, crêpes, macarons, they are “bons-vivants”. They love food so much that even when they do not talk about it, they mention it in their idioms. So, let’s cook together! We will give you the recipe for French idioms. Take note, or you could end making an omelette! Be careful, they are not really similar in English…
If you go on a trip to France, beware of its inhabitants’ character. Between two coffees, they sometimes deal with sensitive topics. Some of them do not “chew their words” (“ne pas mâcher ses mots”) and the “mustard quickly goes to their nose” (“la moutarde leur monte au nez”). When French people are arguing, keep your distance. If you are really curious, “you will not miss a crumb of it” (“ne pas en perdre une miette”). Be careful not to say anything inappropriate or you will “put your feet in the dish” (“mettre les pieds dans le plat”)! If you do not “mind your onions” (“se mêler de ses oignons”), someone will tell you to “go boil an egg” (“aller se faire cuire un œuf”)!
But, if this happens to you, do not “make a whole cheese” about it (“en faire tout un fromage”). Everybody can “make a white cabbage” (“faire chou blanc”). And, after all, this is “not the sea to drink” (“pas la mer à boire”)! You should visit the tourist sites instead. If you are “having your stomach in your heels” (“avoir l’estomac dans les talons”), you should stop and sit on a café terrasse. If you go further, you will find a souvenir shop. Beware of “not being rolled in flour” (“se faire rouler dans la farine”)! Some items coud be overpriced. Tourists must “have seen green and not yet ripe” (“en voir des vertes et des pas mûres”)… Anyway, no need to “put your spleen in a court-bouillon” (“se mettre la rate au court-bouillon”). All you have to do is “crunch life with your teeth” (“croquer la vie à pleine dent”) and enjoy your journey !
Obviously, all of this did not mean a thing, as it was translated word for word ! Here are the real English equivalent to these French idioms:
French idiom |
Wrong literal translation |
English equivalent |
Ne pas mâcher ses mots |
Not to chew one’s words |
Not to mince one’s words |
La moutarde lui monte au nez |
The mustard goes to one’s nose |
To get hot under the collar |
Ne pas en perdre une miette |
Not to miss a crumb of it |
Not to miss a word |
Mettre les pieds dans le plat |
Put one’s feet in the dish |
To put one’s foot in it |
Mêle-toi de tes oignons |
Mind your onions |
Mind your own business |
Vas te faire cuire un œuf |
Go boil an egg |
Go jump in a lake |
En faire tout un fromage |
Make a whole cheese |
To make a song and dance about something |
Faire chou blanc |
Make a white cabbage |
To draw a blank |
Ce n’est pas la mer à boire |
It’s not the sea to drink |
It’s not a big deal |
Avoir l’estomac dans les talons |
One’s stomach in one’s heels |
To be hungry as a horse |
Se faire rouler dans la farine |
To be rolled in flour |
To be taken to the cleaners |
En voir des vertes et des pas mûres |
To see green and not yet ripe |
To go through a lot |
Se mettre la rate au court-bouillon |
To put one’s spleen in a court-bouillon |
To get hot and bothered |
Croquer la vie à pleine dent |
To crunch life with your teeth |
To live one’s life to the fullest |
COMMENTS:
15/07/2016 - Philippe.variol said :
On boit du petit lait en vous lisant (we drink little milk)
15/07/2016 - uta-uri said :
Sincere condolances to all French residing in UK this 14 JULY
11/07/2016 - accueil said :
Cette rubrique nous fait passer un bon moment et nous fait rire ! D'ailleurs on ne se rend pas compte qu'on utilise tout ce vocabulaire gastronomique au quotidien.....les français seraient-ils obsédés par la nourriture ??? question philosophique s'il en est !
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