French idioms can be odd and funny! In this article, we’ll look at 25 weird French phrases, and explain what they sound like in English, what they mean, and what they mean when people use them.
25 Strange French idioms
Here are the 25 idioms:
Poser un lapin
- Pronunciation in English: Poh-zay uhn lah-pan
- Literal translation: To place a rabbit
- Meaning: To stand someone up (not show up for a date or meeting)
Avoir le cafard
- Pronunciation in English: Ah-vwar luh ka-far
- Literal translation: To have the cockroach
- Meaning: To feel down or depressed
Mettre son grain de sel
- Pronunciation in English: Metruh sohn grahn duh sell
- Literal translation: To put one’s grain of salt
- Meaning: To give one’s unsolicited opinion
Monter sur ses grands chevaux
- Pronunciation in English: Mohntay sewr say grahn shuh-voh
- Literal translation: To climb on one’s high horses
- Meaning: To get angry or indignant
Avaler des couleuvres
- Pronunciation in English: Ah-valay day kool-uhv
- Literal translation: To swallow snakes
- Meaning: To endure or tolerate humiliations
Donner sa langue au chat
- Pronunciation in English: Dohnay sah lahng oh sha
- Literal translation: To give one’s tongue to the cat
- Meaning: To give up guessing
Tirer les vers du nez
- Pronunciation in English: Tee-ray lay vair dew nay
- Literal translation: To pull worms from the nose
- Meaning: To get someone to reveal secrets
Être haut comme trois pommes
- Pronunciation in English: Etruh oh kohm twah pohm
- Literal translation: To be as high as three apples
- Meaning: To be very short
Avoir un chat dans la gorge
- Pronunciation in English: Ah-vwar uhn sha don lah gorj
- Literal translation: To have a cat in the throat
- Meaning: To have a frog in one’s throat (hoarse or can’t speak clearly)
Faire la grasse matinée
- Pronunciation in English: Fair lah grass ma-tee-nay
- Literal translation: To do the fat morning
- Meaning: To sleep in
Péter plus haut que son cul
- Pronunciation in English: Pay-tay ploo oh kuh sewn kewl
- Literal translation: To fart higher than one’s ass
- Meaning: To think too highly of oneself
Avoir le melon
- Pronunciation in English: Ah-vwar luh mel-on
- Literal translation: To have the melon
- Meaning: To be full of oneself
Avoir les dents qui rayent le parquet
- Pronunciation in English: Ah-vwar lay don kee ray leuh par-kay
- Literal translation: To have teeth that scratch the parquet
- Meaning: To be extremely ambitious
Être une poule mouillée
- Pronunciation in English: Etruh oon pool mwee-yay
- Literal translation: To be a wet chicken
- Meaning: To be a coward
Couper les cheveux en quatre
- Pronunciation in English: Koo-pay lay shuh-vuh on katr
- Literal translation: To cut the hair in four
- Meaning: To split hairs (overly precise)
Être le dindon de la farce
- Pronunciation in English: Etruh luh dan-don duh lah fars
- Literal translation: To be the turkey of the joke
- Meaning: To be the butt of the joke
Se mettre le doigt dans l’œil
- Pronunciation in English: Suh met-truh luh dwah don loy
- Literal translation: To put one’s finger in the eye
- Meaning: To be completely mistaken
Avoir un poil dans la main
- Pronunciation in English: Ah-vwar uhn pwahl don lah man
- Literal translation: To have a hair in the hand
- Meaning: To be lazy
En faire tout un fromage
- **Pronunciationin English:** Ong fair too uhn fro-mahj
- Literal translation: To make a whole cheese of it
- Meaning: To make a big deal out of something
Jeter de l’huile sur le feu
- Pronunciation in English: Jhetay duh lweel sewr luh fuh
- Literal translation: To throw oil on the fire
- Meaning: To make a situation worse
Prendre ses jambes à son cou
- Pronunciation in English: Prondruh say jam ah son koo
- Literal translation: To take one’s legs to one’s neck
- Meaning: To run away fast
Sauter du coq à l’âne
- Pronunciation in English: Sote dew kohk ah lan
- Literal translation: To jump from the rooster to the donkey
- Meaning: To jump from one subject to another
Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué
- Pronunciation in English: Vahndruh lah po duh loor ah-vahn duh lah-vwar too-ay
- Literal translation: To sell the bear’s skin before having killed it
- Meaning: To count one’s chickens before they hatch
Faire l’autruche
- Pronunciation in English: Fair low-troosh
- Literal translation: To do the ostrich
- Meaning: To bury one’s head in the sand (ignore reality)
Se noyer dans un verre d’eau
- Pronunciation in English: Suh nwah-yay don uhn vehr doh
- Literal translation: To drown in a glass of water
- Meaning: To make a big deal out of a minor issue
We’ve just explored 25 quirky French idioms, learning not just how to say them, but what they really mean. These phrases add color and humor to the French language, showing just how playful and expressive it can be!