Une bête de somme means a workhorse or a beast of burden. Back in the 12th century, “une somme” meant the load that a horse or a mule could carry. Then, in the 16th century, the term “bête de somme” arrived. These days, the more common word for burden is “un fardeau,” but the term “bête de somme” survives in its original form.
“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…
The French expression “chanter comme une seringue” translates literally as “to sing like a syringe.” What it really means is “to sing off key,” or “to sing very badly.” The origin of this saying remains a mystery. What is known is that the saying dates from the beginning of the 19th century, ie the early 1800s….
The French verb “bouillir” means “to boil.” It is conjugated irregularly in the Present tense. So it must be memorised. Present tense It is only the Present tense of bouillir that is irregular. So this is the only part you need to memorise. Passé composé In the Passé composé, “bouillir” is conjugated with “avoir,” like…
“Un chien de commissaire” is a French saying that literally means “a police chief’s dog.” It is used to refer to a police commissioner’s assistant, a police officer or a police inspector. It is an idiom that contains a certain amount of contempt for the person whose job it is to assist the police chief…
The phrase “il vaut mieux” can be translated as “it is better” or “it is preferable.” It is employed to express a preference or recommendation, suggesting that one option is superior or more desirable than another. It uses an impersonal construction of the verb “valoir,” which means “to be worth.” An impersonal construction means that…
“Bavard comme une pie” is a French idiom that means literally “as talkative as a magpie.” It is used to refer to someone as being very talkative or very chatty. In the 17th century, “une pie” meant, as it does now, a magpie. But in those days, it also meant a talkative woman. Since that…