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.
“Faire la bombe” means to have a big feast or a big party with feasting. Nothing to do with bombs! So why does it literally mean “to make the bomb”? Because it is a deformation of the phrase “faire bombance,” which means “to have a feast.” So there is no connection with explosive devices at…
The French phrase “le long de” means “along” in English. It is a preposition. However, there are other ways of translating “along,” depending on the exact meaning of the English term. Related words Etymology “Le long de” comes from the French word “long,” which in turn comes from the Latin word “longus,” meaning “far, extended, remote, distant,…
“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…
“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…
“Le jeu n’en vaut pas la chandelle” is a French saying that means “it isn’t worth it.” Literally it means “the game isn’t worth the candle.” Equivalent English expressions include “it isn’t worth breaking your neck over” and even (in the UK) “the game isn’t worth the candle.” This idiom dates back to the 16th…
The French idiom “aller à la selle” means literally “to go to the saddle.” But it doesn’t really have anything to do with horse riding. What it literally means is “to go to the toilet,” or “to have a bowel movement.” The saying is somewhat dated, so it is not used very frequently these days,…