The French expression “Appuyez sur le champignon !” literally means “Step on the mushroom!” Why would you tell someone to step on the mushroom? Because the accelerator pedal on early motor vehicles was originally shaped like a hemisphere or a dome. Kind of like a mushroom. So “Appuyez sur le champignon !” means “step on the gas!”, “speed up!”, “hurry up!” or simply “accelerate!”
Translating “the day before,” “tomorrow,” and “the day after” into French You may already know the French words “hier” (yesterday) and “demain” (tomorrow). French offers several expressions to convey concepts like “the day before,” “tomorrow,” and “the day after.” Each has its unique nuances depending on the context. 1. “The day before” The English phrase…
The French verb “pousser” means “to push,” “to move,” “to push aside,” “to let out,” or “to grow,” among a variety of different meanings. The green sign in the photo means “Push to open.” To push: “Pousser” mainly means to push or shove. To grow: Expressions and Idiomatic Usage: Etymology: The French verb “pousser” traces…
“Un chien de commissaire” is a French saying that literally means “a police chief’s dog.” It is used to refer to a police commissioner’s assistant, a police officer or a police inspector. It is an idiom that contains a certain amount of contempt for the person whose job it is to assist the police chief…
The French idiom “poisson d’avril” literally means “fish of April”, which sounds meaningless and nonsensical. But in fact it refers to the name of any April Fool’s Day joke or prank, carried out on the 1st April in any year. It was first used towards the end of the 17th century, because the word “poisson”…
“dormir sur ses deux oreilles” is a French saying that means “to sleep deeply, to be perfectly tranquil, or to sleep without worry.” Surprisingly, there is no known source for this expression and no known origin. It seems to have appeared without anyone being able to track when it was first used or by whom….
Understanding “Chacun son truc” “Chacun son truc” is a common French expression that translates to “to each their own” or “everyone has their thing.” It conveys the idea that everyone has their own preferences, tastes, or ways of doing things. This phrase is often used to express tolerance or acceptance of different behaviors or choices….