“Donner un coup de pouce” is a French saying that literally means “to give a push of the thumb.” It really means a rapid and audacious attack, a smart way to proceed, some momentary help, or just help in general.
The origin of this idiom is unknown. Its first date of use is also unknown.
Similar English expressions include “nudge,” “to lend a hand,” and “to give a boost.”
The French saying “mettre de l’eau dans son vin” means literally “to put some water in one’s wine.” It means to be less ambitious, to moderate one’s claims or to moderate one’s demands. It comes from the practice of moderating the intensity of wine by adding water to it. The expression dates back at least to…
The French phrase “ça me fait du bien” is used quite frequently in conversation. It translates as “it makes me feel good,” “it feels good,” “it does me good,” “it’s good for me,” “it makes me feel better,” “it feels so good,” “that does me good,” “this is good for me” and “I feel good,”…
“À la noix” means “stripped of value, not serious, of bad quality, phony, without value, or badly made.” “Une noix” is a walnut. This expression appeared at the end of the 19th century. So why the prejudice against walnuts? The expression may be a deformation of the word “alénois” which is in turn a deformation…
The French saying “faites chauffer la colle !” means literally “have the glue heated up!” or “heat up the glue!” It is used in an often joking way when something has just been broken, or you see or hear something being broken. Unless modern glue, which usually comes prepackaged in a tube, old fashioned glue…
The French word “la cuiller” means “the spoon.” It can also be spelled “la cuillère,” which is a spelling that more accurately reflects its pronunciation (KWEE YAIR). Both spellings are accepted in modern French. The spelling of “la cuillère” has recently become more popular, however, due to its more logical connection with standard French phonetics…
“C’est l’horloge du palais” is a French expression used to describe a clock that doesn’t tell the right time. Although it translates as “It’s the palace clock,” there is no equivalent English saying. King Charles V of France (1338-1380) had a clock installed in his palace in Paris by the clockmaker Henri de Vic of…