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.
“Mode” is a French noun that can either be masculine or feminine. Its meaning changes depending on whether it is the masculine version of the noun or the feminine version. In its masculine form, it means “mode” or “way.” In the feminine, it means “fashion.” So you can remember the difference by remembering that women…
“Du tac au tac” is a French expression meaning immediately, with vivacity, like lightning, scathingly, or with a quick response. It has nothing to do with Tic Tacs or Tiktok. It comes from the world of fencing. In fencing, to retaliate “du tac au tac” means to reply immediately to an assault. The word “tac” refers…
The French expression “en rester comme deux ronds de flan” is an idiomatic expression that means “to be left speechless,” “to be perplexed,” or “to be stunned.” It is used to describe someone who is so surprised or shocked by something that they are unable to respond or react. Some believe that the origin of…
The French verb “s’attendre à” means “to expect” or “to anticipate.” “S’attendre à” vs. “Attendre” The primary difference between “s’attendre à” and “attendre” is that “s’attendre à” is reflexive (or “pronominal” as we say in French) and “attendre” is not. While “attendre” means “to wait for” or “to await,” “s’attendre à” means “to expect” or…
The French word “comme” can function either as an adverb or as a conjunction. Adverb As an adverb, “comme” means “how.” Another word that is used similarly is “que.” Conjunction Comme as a conjunction can mean “as” or “like.” Idiomatic expressions Etymology: The word “comme” comes from the Latin word “quam.” In Old French, it…
“dormir sur ses deux oreilles” is a French saying that means “to sleep deeply, to be perfectly tranquil, or to sleep without worry.” Surprisingly, there is no known source for this expression and no known origin. It seems to have appeared without anyone being able to track when it was first used or by whom….