Avoir de la veine

ByFast French

“Avoir de la veine” means to be lucky or to have luck. “Une veine” is a vein. So what is the connection between veins and luck? The term comes from the world of men who searched for gold, diamonds or other precious metals. These metals and diamonds are found in concentrations in rock called “veins.” Finding a vein of gold or diamonds was the kind of luck that all miners strove for, so “to have some vein” means to be lucky.

Are you looking for VCE French tutoring? Try a free trial lesson with Fast French. No obligation. Fast French has a track record of helping students to progress and excel in their French studies.

Don’t miss out on new posts – subscribe now!

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • être mal barré

    ByFast French

    The French saying “être mal barré” means “to get off to a bad start,” “to be heading for failure,” or “to get into big trouble.” Literally it translates as “to be badly steered” or “to be badly guided,” in the nautical sense of steering or guiding. “La barre” is the tiller or the helm of…

  • passer l’éponge

    ByFast French

    Passer l’éponge means literally to pass the sponge, but in slightly better English it would be to wipe the sponge. The English saying it most closely resembles would be “to wipe the slate clean.” It means to restart from zero, to forgive, or to forget disagreeable acts. The expression dates back to the start of…

  • to bump into, to come across

    ByFast French

    Sometimes you meet a friend, an acquaintance or a coworker by pure chance, rather than because you had arranged to meet them in advance. There are a few different ways to translate the English phrases “to bump into” or “to come across” in French. rencontrer The French verb “rencontrer” mainly means “to meet” or “to…

  • mordre la poussière

    ByFast French

    The French expression “mordre la poussière” translates literally to “to bite the dust” in English and carries similar connotations. It is used to refer to defeat, failure, or death. Meaning “Mordre la poussière” typically conveys: Origins The expression has ancient roots dating back to Homer’s Iliad, where fallen warriors were described as “biting the earth”…

  • faire le malin

    ByFast French

    The French phrase “faire le malin” translates literally as “to make the clever (person),” but it really means “to show off,” “to play it smart,” “to try to be clever,” “to get cute,” or “to boast.” It can also mean “to con” or “to cheat.” Examples Expression A saying that is derived from this phrase…