This French idiom means literally, “the English have disembarked.” From 1815 to 1820, the English Army, wearing their traditional red uniforms, occupied France in their war against Napoléon. After they left, Parisians started using this phrase to mean, “to have her period,” since the flow of unwelcome English invaders wearing red coats resembled red menstrual blood.
“Honni soit qui mal y pense” means “shame to he who sees evil in it.” In modern French (not the saying’s original Middle French), this would be “honte à celui qui y voit du mal.” This is the motto of the Order of the Garter, the most important order of knighthood in Britain. The story…
“Avoir l’intention de” is a common French expression that translates to “to intend to,” “to have the intention of” or “to mean to” in English. It is used to express a plan, goal, or something you are planning to do. This phrase is quite versatile and can be used in various contexts, whether formal or…
This expression means to have a lot to do, or to have numerous tasks to accomplish. But this expression originally meant to have resources for the future, or to be assured of lacking for nothing. That’s because before the start of the 20th century, French bread used to last a long time. Then, as people…
The French verb “prévenir” means “to prevent” or “to warn.” It also means “to let [someone] know,” “to avert,” “to advise,” “to inform,” “to guard against,” “to notify” and “to forewarn.” Examples Etymology The word “prévenir” comes from the Latin verb “praeventire,” composed of “prae” (before) and “eventire” (to come).
Passer l’éponge means literally to pass the sponge, but in slightly better English it would be to wipe the sponge. The English saying it most closely resembles would be “to wipe the slate clean.” It means to restart from zero, to forgive, or to forget disagreeable acts. The expression dates back to the start of…
Faire le beau is a fixed French expression with two main uses. Its original, literal use applies to dogs and means to beg or sit up obediently to please someone. By extension, when applied to people, it means to show off, seek approval, flatter, or behave in an ingratiating way. The expression is common in…