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.
“Pour des prunes” is a French expression that literally means “for plums.” Its closest English equivalent is “for nothing.” The saying dates from the start of the 16th century. However, the association of plums with a complete lack of value dates back to the end of the Second Crusade, which finished around 1150 AD and was…
Not all English idiomatic expressions have a direct French translation. It is a common mistake to translate an English expression directly into French. This can cause confusion for the listener, leading to total bafflement or misunderstanding. The English idiom “waiting for the penny to drop” describes the moment when someone finally understands something that wasn’t…
The French expression “Appuyez sur le champignon !” literally means “Step on the mushroom!” Why would you tell someone to step on the mushroom? Because the accelerator pedal on early motor vehicles was originally shaped like a hemisphere or a dome. Kind of like a mushroom. So “Appuyez sur le champignon !” means “step on…
“Faire son miel de” is a French saying whose literal translation is “to make one’s honey from.” It means to make a profit from, or to take advantage of a situation to earn a lot of money. It comes from the activity of bees, who are known not only for their industriousness and hard work, but…
“Un phoque” is a French masculine noun meaning “a seal,” referring to the marine mammal. Idiomatic expressions Etymology The word “phoque” is derived from the Latin “phoca,” a feminine noun meaning “seal.” Its first surviving recorded usage in French was in 1532, when it was spelled “focque.” By 1573 its spelling had changed to “phoque”…
The French verbs “se rappeler” and “se souvenir” mean “to remember” or “to recall.” Learn the differences and similarities between the two verbs, as well as how to conjugate them, and their linguistic origins. Meaning and Usage: 1. “Se souvenir de”: 2. “Se rappeler”: Conjugation: Present Tense: Passé Composé: Etymology: