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.
This expression means “for your information,” “for information,” “in order to teach you how to conduct yourself in a situation,” “to inform you,” or “for information.” The word “gouverne” is related to governing and government. It dates back to the 12th century, but in the 18th century took the meaning of “serving as a rule…
The French saying “le repos du guerrier” translates literally to mean “the rest of the warrior.” Figuratively, however, it refers to a man’s procreative activities with a woman, or to coital activity in general, or to bedroom pleasures. It refers to the situation of a warrior who comes back from fighting in a war, to…
“En faire tout un fromage” literally means “to make a whole cheese out of it.” Which doesn’t make a lot of sense in English, of course. But its real meaning is “to make a mountain out of a molehill.” It refers to making a big story out of a small or insignificant thing or event,…
Meanings of “Craindre”: The French verb “craindre” primarily translates to “to fear” or “to be afraid.” However, its meanings extend beyond mere fear, encompassing a spectrum of related emotions: Conjugation in Present and Passé Composé: “Craindre” belongs to the third group of French verbs, which are often irregular in their conjugations. Here is how “craindre”…
The French idiom “montrer patte blanche” translates literally as “to show white paw.” What it really means is “to prove your identity,” “to present authorisation to enter a place,” or “to be recommendable.” This saying dates back to the time of Jean de La Fontaine. He was a poet and a writer of fables who…
“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…
