passer au caviar

ByFast French

The French idiom “passer au caviar” means literally “to pass to the caviar” or “to switch to the caviar.”

This expression comes from Russia. Under the rule of Tsar Nicholas I (1825-1855), censorship was common. In books and journals, areas that had been censored were covered in black ink. This black ink was the same colour as caviar, which is also black.

Since the early 20th century, this expression makes the connection between the black colour of caviar and the black ink of censorship. There is even a French verb “caviarder,” which means “to redact,” “to censor” or “to black out.”

The equivalent English expression is “to black out.”

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

  • tomber des cordes

    ByFast French

    “Tomber des cordes” is a French expression that means “to be raining cats and dogs” or to rain very heavily. Literally, it means “to fall some ropes.” The saying dates back to the end of the 17th century. This idiom has variants such as “pleuvoir des cordes” (to rain ropes) and “tomber des hallebardes” (to…

  • violon d’Ingres

    ByFast French

    The French saying “violon d’Ingres” literally translates as “violin of Ingres.” What it really means is “hobby,” “pastime,” or “an activity that you enjoy outside your main job.” Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was a 19th century painter who created a number of famous works, including Grande Baigneuse (1808), Oedipus and the Sphinx (1808), and La Grande Odalisque…

  • ça me fait du bien

    ByFast French

    The French phrase “ça me fait du bien” is used quite frequently in conversation. It translates as “it makes me feel good,” “it feels good,” “it does me good,” “it’s good for me,” “it makes me feel better,” “it feels so good,” “that does me good,” “this is good for me” and “I feel good,”…

  • chacun son truc

    ByFast French

    Understanding “Chacun son truc” “Chacun son truc” is a common French expression that translates to “to each their own” or “everyone has their thing.” It conveys the idea that everyone has their own preferences, tastes, or ways of doing things. This phrase is often used to express tolerance or acceptance of different behaviors or choices….

  • 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…