The French saying “mettre de l’eau dans son vin” means literally “to put some water in one’s wine.” It means to be less ambitious, to moderate one’s claims or to moderate one’s demands.
It comes from the practice of moderating the intensity of wine by adding water to it.
The expression dates back at least to the middle of the 16th century.
Equivalent English expressions include “to eat humble pie,” “to lower one’s sights,” and “to tone it down.”
“Se plaindre” means “to complain,” “to whinge” or “to moan.” Conjugations in Present Tense and Passé Composé: Present tense: Passé composé tense: Etymology: The origin of “se plaindre” can be traced back to Latin, where the root “plangere” meant “to lament” or “to beat one’s chest.” Idiomatic Expressions and Usage:
French words that end in the letters “al” can be a trap for learners. That’s because in the plural, they change their spelling to “aux.” The classic example is “un cheval,” which in the plural becomes “des chevaux.” But this applies to every single noun and adjective ending in the letters “al.” Nouns are relatively…
“Sur les chapeaux de roues” is a French saying that literally translates as “on the hats of the wheels.” A better translation would be “on the hubcaps.” It is a way of saying “at high speed.” If a vehicle travels at high speed and goes around a curve or a corner, it will tend to…
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…
“Haut comme trois pommes” is a French expression meaning “Knee high to a grasshopper,” ie very small, tiny or very young. Literally it means “as tall as three apples.” Its origin is unknown but its meaning is quite clear. Don’t miss out on new posts – subscribe now!
“Vogue la galère” means “what will be, will be,” “come what may,” or “whatever happens, happens.” Literally the expression means something like “let the galley sail.” But the word “voguer” (to sail) originally meant to be pushed over the water by strength of oars. Galleys were ships powered by oarsmen and were used from antiquity…