Passer l’éponge means literally to pass the sponge, but in slightly better English it would be to wipe the sponge. The English saying it most closely resembles would be “to wipe the slate clean.” It means to restart from zero, to forgive, or to forget disagreeable acts. The expression dates back to the start of the 17th century and originally existed in the form “porter l’éponge” which meant to carry the sponge.
“Appeler un chat un chat” is a French saying that literally means “to call a cat a cat.” It means to call things by their name, to be open and direct, to not mince one’s words, not to fear calling things by their names, to avoid euphemisms. The origin of this expression is unknown. Its…
The French idiom “mettre en boîte” means literally “to put in a can” or “to can.” Figuratively however it means “to make fun of someone,” “to annoy,” “to tease,” or “to kid.” The saying dates back to the end of the 19th century, when “to can” meant “to mock” or “to whistle disapprovingly at.” The…
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…
“Mine de rien” is a popular French expression that is used in everyday conversations. Literally translated, it means “appearance of nothing,” “expression of nothing,” or “look of nothing,” but its true meaning goes beyond its literal interpretation. This expression is often used to describe someone’s behavior or attitude when they are doing something in a…
The French idiom “poisson d’avril” literally means “fish of April”, which sounds meaningless and nonsensical. But in fact it refers to the name of any April Fool’s Day joke or prank, carried out on the 1st April in any year. It was first used towards the end of the 17th century, because the word “poisson”…
“Mode” is a French noun that can either be masculine or feminine. Its meaning changes depending on whether it is the masculine version of the noun or the feminine version. In its masculine form, it means “mode” or “way.” In the feminine, it means “fashion.” So you can remember the difference by remembering that women…