montrer patte blanche

ByFast French

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 lived in the mid 17th century.

One of his fables was called “The wolf, the goat and the baby goat.” The baby goat, known as a kid, was left at home, alone, by its mother. The kid’s mother had white paws. The mother told the kid not to open the door to anyone who didn’t have white paws.

While the mother was out, a wolf came to the door. The kid asked the wolf to show its white paws. Being unable to do this, the wolf was angry and frustrated. But the kid remained safe.

There is no equivalent expression in English.

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • Grammar: Possessive Adjectives

    ByFast French

    French possessive adjectives are used to describe to whom something or someone belongs. Their English equivalents are words like “my,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “our,” and “their.” They replace articles They are used instead of an article. Articles are words like “un,” “une,” “le,” “la,” “l’” (l + apostrophe), “de,” “du,” “de la,” “de l’” (de…

  • c pronunciation

    ByFast French

    The letter “c” can be pronounced in two different ways in French. It can be hard, like the first “c” in the word “coriace,” meaning “tough,” “leathery,” or “hard-headed,” pronounced [KOH REE AHSS]. Or it can be soft, like the last “c” in “coriace.” How do you know whether a “c” will be hard or…

  • le pouvoir

    ByFast French

    The French masculine noun “le pouvoir” translates to “power” or “authority” in English. It comes from the French verb “pouvoir,” meaning “to be able,” or “can.” “Le pouvoir” has its roots in the Latin word “potere,” which means “to be able” or “to have the right.” This Latin term evolved into the Old French “povoir” before…

  • amener, apporter, emmener, emporter

    ByFast French

    The French verbs “amener,” “apporter,” “emmener” and “emporter” are used to translate the English verbs “to take” and “to bring.” But which one should you use? And what happened to “prendre?” mener Both “amener” and “emmener” are based on the verb “mener,” which means “to lead.” You can lead a person, an animal or a…