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.
The French saying “bec et ongles” derives its origin from the Latin expression “rostrum et unguibus,” which also means “beak and nails.” This ancient phrase refers to the beak, symbolizing the fierceness and determination of a bird, and the nails, representing strength and tenacity. Throughout history, birds have often been associated with bravery and courage,…
The French idiom “manger de la vache enragée” literally translates as “to eat of the enraged cow.” No, it doesn’t have anything to do with Mad Cow disease. In fact it means “to live in misery, to have a difficult material life, or to lead a life of deprivation.” The saying dates from the 17th century….
Understanding the French Expression “Avoir lieu” “Avoir lieu” is a common French expression that literally translates to “to have place” but is used in everyday language to mean “to take place” or “to happen”. Literal Meaning If you break down the expression: However, it’s important to note that “avoir lieu” does not mean “to have…
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…
The French saying “être mal barré” means “to get off to a bad start,” “to be heading for failure,” or “to get into big trouble.” Literally it translates as “to be badly steered” or “to be badly guided,” in the nautical sense of steering or guiding. “La barre” is the tiller or the helm of…
“Un chien de commissaire” is a French saying that literally means “a police chief’s dog.” It is used to refer to a police commissioner’s assistant, a police officer or a police inspector. It is an idiom that contains a certain amount of contempt for the person whose job it is to assist the police chief…