The French saying “laid comme un pou” translates literally as “(as) ugly as a louse.” It means “very ugly.” This idiom dates back to the end of the 18th century. Although there are plenty of other insects that are uglier than a louse, which is responsible for head lice infestations, the effects of this insect…

The French saying “pendre la crémaillère” translates literally as “to hang the rack.” What it means is “to celebrate moving into a new home.” The idiom dates back to the 16th century, when cooking was done in the hearth. A toothed or notched bar (known as a “rack” in English) enabled the cooking pot to…

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…