tenir le bon bout

ByFast French

“Tenir le bon bout” is a French idiom that literally means “to hold the right end.” It means to be on the point of success, to be in the middle of succeeding in a process, to have the advantage, to be about to succeed in a mission, to reach the end of a project or to be in a good position.

The saying comes from a 15th century expression “prendre quelque chose par le bon bout” which meant to take something in the right way or by the correct side. In the 17th century, it came to mean “to already have guaranteed advantages in a situation.”

The English equivalent of this saying is “to be on the right track.”

Of course, if you’re a dog, the right end of the stick is in fact the middle, not one end or the other.

Don’t miss out on new posts – subscribe now!

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

  • Occupe-toi de tes oignons

    ByFast French

    Literally this expression means “occupy yourself with your onions.” But it translates into English as “Mind your own business.” It is sometimes abbreviated to “c’est pas tes oignons” or simply “pas tes oignons” (none of your business, or “not your onions”). One theory as to the origin of this expression comes from the word “l’oigne,” which…

  • | |

    derrière

    ByFast French

    The French word “derrière” can function either as a preposition, as an adverb or as a noun. Depending on which one of these three parts of speech it is being used as, it can mean “behind,” “after,” “shortly after,” “afterwards,” “bottom,” or “back.” It is the opposite of “devant,” discussed in this blog post. Preposition…

  • |

    singing

    ByFast French

    How do you talk about singing in French? There are a few words – some verbs, some nouns. The verb “to sing,” which is “chanter.” The noun “a song,” which is “une chanson.” And the noun “the singing,” which is “le chant.” There is another verb “entonner,” which means “to start singing,” or “to launch…

  • appel du pied

    ByFast French

    An “appel du pied” literally means a “call of the foot” but actually means a discrete invitation, a seduction attempt, an allusive proposal or simply an invitation. Its origin is unknown. There is a related term that exists in the world of fencing with swords, but it doesn’t seem to be linked to this usage….

  • Adjective: paresseux

    ByFast French

    Meaning “Paresseux” is a French adjective used to describe a person or thing as “lazy” or “idle.” Corresponding Noun “La paresse” is a related feminine noun that means “laziness,” “sloth,” or in a medical context, “sluggishness.” Gender & number The adjective “paresseux” takes on different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun…

  • How to say “under” in French

    ByFast French

    Translating prepositions from one language to another can be a tricky task. One group of prepositions that often poses challenges in learning French is the one containing “under,” “underneath,” “below” and “beneath.” “Sous” The most common and straightforward translation for “under” in French is “sous.” This word is the primary equivalent of “under” and is…