“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 rain halberds, which are a type of medieval and Renaissance pole weapon).
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…
“Franchir le Rubicon” means to cross the Rubicon. It means to take a decisive and irreversible step, to take a decision and accept all its consequences, to make an irreversible choice, or to take an irrevocable decision. The Rubicon is a river that in 49 BC separated Gaul from the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar, the great…
“Les chiens ne font pas des chats” means that kids resemble their parents, that one inherits the behaviour and the tastes of one’s parents, along with their character traits. Literally, it means “dogs don’t make cats,” meaning that dogs give birth to puppies, not kittens. Equivalent expressions in English would be “he’s a chip off…
The word “la mouche” means “the fly” in French. Here is a summary of French idiomatic expressions that use “mouche.” Faire mouche Literal meaning: To hit the flyFigurative meaning: To hit the target exactly; to be spot onOrigin: From archery or shooting. La mouche was the black center of the target.Example: Son commentaire a fait…
The French verb “prévenir” means “to prevent” or “to warn.” It also means “to let [someone] know,” “to avert,” “to advise,” “to inform,” “to guard against,” “to notify” and “to forewarn.” Examples Etymology The word “prévenir” comes from the Latin verb “praeventire,” composed of “prae” (before) and “eventire” (to come).
The French verb “marcher” has a variety of meanings, including “to walk,” “to function,” “to work,” “to tread,” “to go,” “to go for it,” and even “to fall for it.” To walk To tread To go To work, to function To go for it To fall for it Expressions