Bizarre French Expressions: February
A recap of the past four weeks’ weirdest French expressions!
Harness your worst gallic accent and get ready to impress (or horrify) your French friends: it’s time for a recap of the past four weeks’ weirdest French expressions! 🇫🇷 🥖 En garde!
Also since technology never ceases to amaze, you’ll find recordings for pronunciation this time! 21st century indeed.
Bizarre French Expression of the Day
Chier une pendule.
Literal translation: To defecate a clock.
Meaning: To make a big deal out of something.
Example: “Are you really going to defecate a whole clock over this?”
Origins: A mix of two expressions. In French, ‘Faire chier’ someone is akin to being a pain in the arse, while the ‘pendule’ is like a big clock with a repetitive tick-tock. So it mixes these two ideas into this very elegant expression.
Note: Do not attempt during Sunday dinner with your French in-laws.
Bizarre French Expression of the Day
Avoir les dents longues.
Literal translation: To have long teeth.
Meaning: To be fiercely ambitious.
Example: “The secretary of state’s teeth are so long they are literally scraping the ground…”
Origins: Originally used to refer to someone being extra hungry.
Bizarre French Expression of the Day
Un panier de crabes.
Literal translation: A basket of crabs.
Meaning: A team or social group where hypocrisy is rife, and everyone is working against each other.
Example: “It was during the KPI sync-up that Kevin realised the entire sales team was nothing but a basket of crabs.”
Origins: From fishermen’s crab baskets, where all the crustaceans hold onto each other tightly.
Note: The visual says ‘Presidential primaries’ and is a typical French political satire, using the expression.
🦀🤝🦀
Bizarre French Expression of the Day
Reprendre du poil de la bête
Literal translation: to take back some of the beast's hair
Meaning: To find the resources within to fight back. To gather oneself.
Example: After losing the first two sets 6-0 6-0, the French Tennis player took back some of the beast’s hair and only lost 6-1 in the third.
Origins: Originally, this meant ‘to look for a remedy’ as hair from an animal that just bit someone was supposed to have healing properties.
Bizarre French Expression of the Day
Regarder les mouches voler
Literal translation: To watch the flies flying.
Meaning: Daydreaming/stare into space, but in a slightly pejorative way. As in, not being very productive but daydreaming instead.
Example: Did @Clancy Steadwell finish his latest essay? No, he is currently watching flies fly. 😉
Origins: Unknown.
Bizarre French Expression of the Day
Tirer le diable par la queue
Literal translation: To pull the devil by the tail.
Meaning: To live off scarce/few resources.
Example: After moving into her $1200/m single room in London, Giulia quickly learned to pull the devil by the tail.
Origins: Dating back to the 17th century, the phrase has varied interpretations. Some believe it refers to seeking the devil’s assistance, while others think it symbolizes tightening the drawstring of a purse, which, when empty, was thought to house the devil.
PS: I lived in a room exactly like this for two years in London
Bizarre French Expression of the Day
En baver des ronds de chapeau.
Literal translation: To drool hat circles.
Meaning: To have a rough time.
Example: “After deciding to participate in the semi marathon to impress his girlfriend, Angus drooled hat circles.”
Origins: Is the softened version of ‘to shit hat circles’. One can assume that someone shitting hat circles indeed ‘en baver’ which means to suffer.
Comme d'habitude, j'adore cette section du blog... merci!
🤣🤣🤣okay this must be appropriate when one has noodle booty: To defecate a clock. 🤣🤣🤣