“Faire d’une pierre deux coups” is a French idiom that literally translates as “to make two strikes with one stone.” It means to reach several objectives with a single action, or to achieve two things at the same time with a single action.
The English equivalent of this French saying is “to kill two birds with one stone.”
The French expression is attributed to Montaigne in the 16th century, but may well date back earlier.
This French expression means “to go window shopping.” However it translates literally as “to do some lick-window.” This phrase comes from the idea that the window shopper is standing so close to the window and gazing in with such pleasure that it looks like she is licking the window. The idiom first appeared in the 20th…
The letter “g” can be pronounced in two different ways in French. It can be hard, like the first “g” in the word “garage,” which is both a French word and an English word. Or it can be soft, like the last “g” in “garage.” How do you know whether a “g” will be hard…
“Cinquième colonne” is a French idiom that means “fifth column.” It translates as “traitor, enemy spy organisation, spy, or secret service for a foreign country.” The idiom dates back to 1936, during the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalists of General Franco announced that the capital of Spain, Madrid, would be attacked by five columns of…
This expression means “that’s it,” “that’s enough” or “we’re all squared up.” It refers to payment and is based on the street “rue Michel le Comte” in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. This street received its name in 1270. The expression comes from the drivers of horse drawn hackney cabs who were originally based in the…
“Tout baigne” is a French saying that literally means “everything bathes.” This conjures up visions of a perfect summer beach setting, where some people lay in the sun and others splash about in the water. The meaning of the saying seems to confirm this, because it means “everything is going well, it’s happening for the best,…
The French verb “se passer” means “to happen” or “to take place.” Conjugation in the Present Tense: “Se passer” is a reflexive verb, used impersonally with “il,” “ça” or “ils.” It is not used with other subjects such as je, tu, elle, etc. Conjugation in the Passé Composé: “Se passer” is a reflexive verb, used…