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.
“Acheter chat en poche” means to buy something without having seen it first and thereby risk disappointment. It means the same as the English saying “to buy a pig in a poke.” Literally it means “to buy a cat in a pocket,” but “poche” in this case means “bag,” not pocket. The expression dates back…
“Du tac au tac” is a French expression meaning immediately, with vivacity, like lightning, scathingly, or with a quick response. It has nothing to do with Tic Tacs or Tiktok. It comes from the world of fencing. In fencing, to retaliate “du tac au tac” means to reply immediately to an assault. The word “tac” refers…
The French word “jurer” is a commonly used verb. It means “to swear,” “to swear to,” “to swear that,” “to promise,” “to affirm,” and, “to use swear words.” 1. To Swear (an Oath): One of the primary meanings of “jurer” revolves around the act of swearing an oath, committing oneself solemnly to a promise or…
“Recevoir une avoinée” is a French saying that means “to receive a correction, to get beaten or to get hit.” English equivalents would include “to get a licking” or “to take a thrashing.” It comes from the word “‘l’avoine,” meaning “oat.” Oats were used as feed for horses. The expression “l’avoine de cocher” from 1866 meant…
The French adjective “prochain” means “next.” Like most adjectives, it is usually placed after the noun it describes, but not always. Let’s find out how the position of “prochain” can vary. Why do you say “la semaine prochaine” (next week) but you also say “les deux prochaines semaines” (the next two weeks)? In the first…
English contains a lot of adjectives of French origin. One of the features of these adjectives is that they have come from the feminine version of the French adjective, not the masculine version, which is normally the default. That’s because the feminine version of any French adjective is usually easier for English speakers to pronounce. It…
