French Idioms Archive
[Edible Idiom] Avoir du pain sur la planche[Edible Idiom] Boire du petit-lait
[Edible Idiom] Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un
[Edible Idiom] Couper la poire en deux
[Edible Idiom] Ecrire des tartines
[Edible Idiom] Faute de grives, on mange des merles
[Edible Idiom] Ne pas savoir si c'est du lard ou du cochon
[Edible Idiom] Ne pas savoir à quelle sauce on va être mangé
[Edible Idiom] Pédaler dans la semoule
[Edible Idiom] Rouler quelqu'un dans la farine
[Edible Idiom] Tomber comme un cheveu sur la soupe
December 18, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Ne pas savoir à quelle sauce on va être mangé
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's expression is, "Ne pas savoir à quelle sauce on va être mangé." Literally translated as, "not knowing what sauce one is going to be eaten with," it means that on...
"[Edible Idiom] Ne pas savoir à quelle sauce on va être mangé" continues »
December 12, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Faute de grives, on mange des merles
Photography by Mynette Laine; more winged stunners in her bird set. This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's entry is really an adage more than an idiom. It goes, "Faute de grives, on mange des merles" a...
"[Edible Idiom] Faute de grives, on mange des merles" continues »
December 5, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Ecrire des tartines
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's idiom is, "Ecrire des tartines." Literally translated as, "writing tartines" (a tartine is a slice of bread topped with some sort of spread, such as butter or ja...
"[Edible Idiom] Ecrire des tartines" continues »
November 28, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Ne pas savoir si c'est du lard ou du cochon
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's idiom is, "Ne pas savoir si c'est du lard ou du cochon" (or: "Se demander si c'est du lard ou du cochon"). Literally translated as, "not knowing whether it's lar...
"[Edible Idiom] Ne pas savoir si c'est du lard ou du cochon" continues »
November 21, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Avoir du pain sur la planche
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's expression is, "Avoir du pain sur la planche." Literally translated as, "having bread on the board," it means having a lot of work to do, or having a lot on one'...
"[Edible Idiom] Avoir du pain sur la planche" continues »
November 13, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Tomber comme un cheveu sur la soupe
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's expression is, "Tomber comme un cheveu sur la soupe." The literal translation is, "falling like a hair* on soup," and it means that something or someone appears ...
"[Edible Idiom] Tomber comme un cheveu sur la soupe" continues »
November 7, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Rouler quelqu'un dans la farine
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's expression is, "Rouler quelqu'un dans la farine." Literally translated as, "rolling someone in flour," it means duping someone, playing a trick on him, or using on...
"[Edible Idiom] Rouler quelqu'un dans la farine" continues »
October 31, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Pédaler dans la semoule
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of the French idioms featured so far. This week's expression is, "Pédaler dans la semoule." The literal translation is "pedaling in semolina," and it means being entangled in a thorny situation, with the added...
"[Edible Idiom] Pédaler dans la semoule" continues »
October 24, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Boire du petit-lait
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food. Read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's expression is, "Boire du petit-lait" (sometimes appearing as "Boire son petit-lait"). The literal translation is, "drinking whey" (sometimes appearing as "drinking...
"[Edible Idiom] Boire du petit-lait" continues »
October 17, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un
This is part of a series on French idiomatic expressions that relate to food; read the introductory Edible Idiom post, and browse the list of French idioms featured so far. This week's expression is, "Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un." It means, literally, "breaking sugar on someone's back," or engaging in malicious gossip about someone....
"[Edible Idiom] Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un" continues »
October 10, 2008
[Edible Idiom] Couper la poire en deux
Two weeks ago, I had dinner at a French restaurant called La Table d'Eugène, on the other side of the Montmartre hill from me. As my friends and I were handed the menus, we all stopped to comment on their fetching design: on the front and back were dozens of French idiomatic expressions, all relating to food, each of them printed in a different, ...
"[Edible Idiom] Couper la poire en deux" continues »