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.”
The literal translation of “beau comme un camion” is “beautiful as a truck.” On the surface, this phrase appears to be an ironic or humorous comparison. After all, trucks are not typically associated with beauty. Instead, they are functional vehicles designed for transporting goods. This expression is used to describe a person, typically a woman,…
The French saying “cracher dans la soupe” literally translates as “to spit in the soup.” What it really means is “to show contempt for something that benefits you” or “to criticise that which enables you to survive.” The origin of this saying is unknown. Its meaning, however, is quite clear. To spit in one’s own…
The French idiom “faire long feu” literally translates as “to make long fire.” What it really means is “to drag on,” “to not have the desired effect,” “to last longer than expected” or “to miss your goal.” It comes from the era of of muzzle-loading rifles, before the invention of waterproof cartridges that enclosed the…
“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…
“Boire en Suisse” means to drink alone, to eat alone, to do something without inviting friends or even to do something in Switzerland. Literally it means to drink in Switzerland, but “en Suisse” can either mean “in Switzerland” or “like a Swiss person.” It comes from an expression dating back to around 1800. This was…
The French verb “rester” means “to stay” or “to remain” in English. But “rester” can be used with indirect object pronouns to mean “to have left.” This is an impersonal construction. In an impersonal construction, the “il” in “il me reste” means “it,” rather than “he.” The literal translation of “il me reste” is “it…