“Avoir les jambes en coton” means literally “to have legs of cotton” or “to have cotton legs.” It means to have no strength left in your legs, to have weak legs or to have unsteady legs. In English, you would probably say that you had “legs like jelly,” “jelly legs,” “rubber legs” or “shaky legs.”
The French verb “vouloir” is a very important and frequently used verb. It means “to want.” It is often used with other verbs, eg “to want to do.” As such, it is described as an auxiliary verb, or helper verb, because it is useful when combined with other French verbs. Below are the conjugations for…
“Par rapport à” is a French prepositional phrase that is widely used. It means three different things: “compared with/in comparison with/against,” “in relation to,” and “with regard to/towards.” Compared with/against In relation to With regard to/towards
Meanings of “Craindre”: The French verb “craindre” primarily translates to “to fear” or “to be afraid.” However, its meanings extend beyond mere fear, encompassing a spectrum of related emotions: Conjugation in Present and Passé Composé: “Craindre” belongs to the third group of French verbs, which are often irregular in their conjugations. Here is how “craindre”…
“Attendre sous l’orme” is a French expression that means to wait a very long time in vain. Literally it means “to wait under the elm (tree).” Before the advent of Dutch elm tree disease, elms were numerous in France. They were especially found in village squares which were the centre of social life. In these…
“Un beau brin de fille” means a pretty, young girl, or a beautiful, seductive woman, or a good looking girl. “Un brin” can mean a blade (of grass), a piece, a sprig (of plant), a little, a tad, a touch of or a bit of. So the idiom literally means something like “a beautiful bit…
The French saying “bec et ongles” derives its origin from the Latin expression “rostrum et unguibus,” which also means “beak and nails.” This ancient phrase refers to the beak, symbolizing the fierceness and determination of a bird, and the nails, representing strength and tenacity. Throughout history, birds have often been associated with bravery and courage,…