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.
This French expression means “to go window shopping.” However it translates literally as “to do some lick-window.” This phrase comes from the idea that the window shopper is standing so close to the window and gazing in with such pleasure that it looks like she is licking the window. The idiom first appeared in the 20th…
“En faire tout un fromage” literally means “to make a whole cheese out of it.” Which doesn’t make a lot of sense in English, of course. But its real meaning is “to make a mountain out of a molehill.” It refers to making a big story out of a small or insignificant thing or event,…
There are few different ways of translating the verb “to happen” into French. You can use the French verbs “se passer,” “arriver” or “se produire.” Let’s look at some examples of each, in order of most frequent usage. se passer arriver se produire
“L’oeil de Moscou” is a French idiom that literally means “the eye of Moscow.” It refers to an organisation or an individual who spies on other people for the benefit of others. It also refers to technical equipment used to spy on people. It dates back to the era of the USSR, the Union of…
The French idiom “danser devant le buffet” means to have no food or to have nothing to eat. Literally, it translates as “to dance in front of the sideboard.” This expression comes from a play on words dating back to the end of the 18th century. From the 16th to the 18th century, the verb…
Both “humour” and “humeur” are French nouns. But they mean different things. “L’humour” (masculine) means “the humour” or “the comedy.” It corresponds fairly closely to the English word “humour” (or “humor,” in US English). In French culture, especially cultivated and sophisticated French culture, “wit” was seen as more important. The French idea of “wit” is…