La tentation de Venise

ByFast French

“La tentation de Venise” means “to have itchy feet.” Literally, it means “the temptation of Venice.” It refers to the temptation to dedicate yourself to other things, to change your life. This is a very recent expression dating from around the start of the 21st century. It comes from the title of a 1993 book written by the French politician Alain Juppé. It relates to his sometime desire to escape from the harsh limelight of the political world, to a less stressful life doing other things. Apparently he has yet to succumb to this temptation, since he remains a politician as of the date of this blog entry, almost 30 years later.

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

  • mettre en boîte

    ByFast French

    The French idiom “mettre en boîte” means literally “to put in a can” or “to can.” Figuratively however it means “to make fun of someone,” “to annoy,” “to tease,” or “to kid.” The saying dates back to the end of the 19th century, when “to can” meant “to mock” or “to whistle disapprovingly at.” The…

  • cuiller/cuillère

    ByFast French

    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…

  • Cleopatra’s nose

    ByFast French

    The French expression « le nez de Cléopâtre » (“Cleopatra’s nose”) comes from a famous line by the 17th-century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal. In his Pensées (1670), he wrote: « Le nez de Cléopâtre, s’il eût été plus court, toute la face de la terre aurait changé. »If Cleopatra’s nose had been shorter, the…