Welcome to our guide on 59 Old French idioms! In this article, we explore some quirky and insightful phrases from the French language, complete with their pronunciations in English, literal translations, and meanings. Whether you’re a language learner or just curious about cultural expressions, this list will offer a peek into the charm and wisdom of traditional French sayings.
59 old French idioms
Here are the 59 idioms:
Avoir d’autres chats à fouetter
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar doh-truh sha a foo-et-tay
- Literal translation: To have other cats to whip
- Meaning: To have other fish to fry; to have more important things to do
Avoir des yeux de lynx
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar dayz yuh duh lanx
- Literal translation: To have lynx eyes
- Meaning: To have very sharp eyesight; to notice everything
Avoir la gueule de bois
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar lah gool duh bwah
- Literal translation: To have a wooden face
- Meaning: To have a hangover
Avoir le bras long
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar luh brah lon
- Literal translation: To have a long arm
- Meaning: To have influence or connections
Avoir le compas dans l’œil
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar luh kom-pah dan lweel
- Literal translation: To have the compass in the eye
- Meaning: To be able to measure or judge something accurately
Avoir plusieurs cordes à son arc
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar plew-zyur kor-duh a son ark
- Literal translation: To have several strings to one’s bow
- Meaning: To have multiple talents or resources
Avoir un chat dans la gorge
- Pronunciation in English: ah-vwar uh sha dan lah gawrzh
- Literal translation: To have a cat in the throat
- Meaning: To have a frog in one’s throat; to be hoarse
Battre la campagne
- Pronunciation in English: bat luh kam-pany
- Literal translation: To beat the countryside
- Meaning: To wander aimlessly; to ramble
Broyer du noir
- Pronunciation in English: brwa-yay dew nwar
- Literal translation: To grind the black
- Meaning: To have dark thoughts; to be depressed
Couper les cheveux en quatre
- Pronunciation in English: koo-pay lay shuh-vuh ahn katr
- Literal translation: To cut the hair in four
- Meaning: To split hairs; to make fine distinctions
Courir sus à quelqu’un
- Pronunciation in English: koo-rear su a kel-kun
- Literal translation: To run after someone
- Meaning: To pursue someone aggressively
Crier haro sur le baudet
- Pronunciation in English: kree-ay ah-roh sewr luh bo-day
- Literal translation: To shout haro on the donkey
- Meaning: To denounce publicly; to call out
Donner un blanc-seing
- Pronunciation in English: doh-nay uhn blahn-sang
- Literal translation: To give a blank signature
- Meaning: To give someone complete freedom to act on one’s behalf
En faire tout un fromage
- Pronunciation in English: ahn fair too uh fro-mahzh
- Literal translation: To make a whole cheese out of it
- Meaning: To make a big deal out of something
Être à cheval sur les principes
- Pronunciation in English: a-truh ah shuh-val sewr lay pren-seep
- Literal translation: To be on horseback on the principles
- Meaning: To be very strict about principles
Être au bout du rouleau
- Pronunciation in English: a-truh oh boo dew roo-low
- Literal translation: To be at the end of the roll
- Meaning: To be at the end of one’s rope; exhausted
Être comme l’oiseau sur la branche
- Pronunciation in English: a-truh kom lwa-zoh sewr lah brahnsh
- Literal translation: To be like the bird on the branch
- Meaning: To be unsettled or insecure
Être pris entre l’arbre et l’écorce
- Pronunciation in English: a-truh pree ahn-truh lar-bruh ay lay-korss
- Literal translation: To be caught between the tree and the bark
- Meaning: To be caught in a dilemma
Être soupe au lait
- Pronunciation in English: a-truh soop oh lay
- Literal translation: To be milk soup
- Meaning: To have a quick temper; to be easily angered
Faire bouillir la marmite
- Pronunciation in English: fair bwah-yir lah mar-meet
- Literal translation: To make the pot boil
- Meaning: To earn the livelihood
Faire chou blanc
- Pronunciation in English: fair shoe blahn
- Literal translation: To make a white cabbage
- Meaning: To fail; to come up with nothing
Faire fête à quelqu’un
- Pronunciation in English: fair fet ah kel-kun
- Literal translation: To make a party for someone
- Meaning: To celebrate someone
Faire l’autruche
- Pronunciation in English: fair loh-troosh
- Literal translation: To make the ostrich
- Meaning: To bury one’s head in the sand; to ignore reality
Faire la figue à quelqu’un
- Pronunciation in English: fair lah fee-guh ah kel-kun
- Literal translation: To make the fig at someone
- Meaning: To thumb one’s nose at someone
Faire un froid de loup
- Pronunciation in English: fair uh fwah duh loo
- Literal translation: To make a wolf’s cold
- Meaning: To be bitterly cold
Faire un pont d’or
- Pronunciation in English: fair uh pohn dor
- Literal translation: To make a golden bridge
- Meaning: To make a very attractive offer
Faire une queue de poisson
- Pronunciation in English: fair oon kuh duh pwah-son
- Literal translation: To make a fish tail
- Meaning: To abruptly swerve in front of another vehicle
Filer à l’anglaise
- Pronunciation in English: fee-lay ah lan-glez
- Literal translation: To sneak away English style
- Meaning: To leave quietly without being noticed; to sneak away
Jeter de l’huile sur le feu
- Pronunciation in English: zheh-tay duh loo-ee sewr luh fuh
- Literal translation: To throw oil on the fire
- Meaning: To make a situation worse; to add fuel to the fire
Jeter des fleurs à quelqu’un
- Pronunciation in English: zheh-tay day flur ah kel-kun
- Literal translation: To throw flowers at someone
- Meaning: To compliment someone profusely
Jeter l’éponge
- Pronunciation in English: zheh-tay lay-ponzh
- Literal translation: To throw the sponge
- Meaning: To throw in the towel; to give up
Jeter le manche après la cognée
- Pronunciation in English: zheh-tay luh mahnsh ah-pray lah ko-nyay
- Literal translation: To throw the handle after the ax
- Meaning: To give up after a failure; to throw in the towel
Laver son linge sale en famille
- Pronunciation in English: lah-vay son lanj sal ahn fam-ee
- Literal translation: To wash one’s dirty laundry in family
- Meaning: To deal with private matters in private
Manger son blé en herbe
- Pronunciation in English: mahn-zhay son blay ahn airb
- Literal translation: To eat one’s wheat in grass
- Meaning: To squander one’s future resources
Mener quelqu’un en bateau
- Pronunciation in English: muh-nay kel-kun ahn bah-toh
- Literal translation: To lead someone in a boat
- Meaning: To lead someone on; to deceive
Mettre de l’eau dans son vin
- Pronunciation in English: met-ruh duh low dan son van
- Literal translation: To put water in one’s wine
- Meaning: To moderate one’s position; to compromise
Mettre la main à la pâte
- Pronunciation in English: met-ruh lah man ah lah pat
- Literal translation: To put the hand in the dough
- Meaning: To get involved; to lend a hand
Mettre son grain de sel
- Pronunciation in English: met-ruh son gran duh sel
- Literal translation: To put one’s grain of salt
- Meaning: To give one’s unsolicited opinion
Monter sur ses grands chevaux
- Pronunciation in English: mohn-tay sewr say grahn shuh-voh
- Literal translation: To climb on one’s high horses
- Meaning: To get angry or indignant
Ne savoir à quel saint se vouer
- Pronunciation in English: nuh sah-vwar ah kel san suh voo-ay
- Literal translation: Not knowing to which saint to devote oneself
- Meaning: To be at a loss as to what to do
Noyer le poisson
- Pronunciation in English: nwa-yay luh pwah-son
- Literal translation: To drown the fish
- Meaning: To obfuscate or deliberately confuse an issue
Parler à quelqu’un de la pluie et du beau temps
- Pronunciation in English: par-lay ah kel-kun duh lah plew-ee ay dew bo tan
- Literal translation: To talk to someone about the rain and the good weather
- Meaning: To make small talk
Passer du coq à l’âne
- Pronunciation in English: pah-say dew kok a lan
- Literal translation: To pass from the rooster to the donkey
- Meaning: To jump from one subject to another
Payer en monnaie de singe
- Pronunciation in English: pay-ay ahn mo-nay duh sanzh
- Literal translation: To pay with monkey money
- Meaning: To not pay at all; to cheat someone of their due
Prendre la mouche
- Pronunciation in English: prawndr lah moosh
- Literal translation: To catch the fly
- Meaning: To get offended or irritated over a trifle
Prendre le taureau par les cornes
- Pronunciation in English: prawndr luh toh-roo par lay kor-nuh
- Literal translation: To take the bull by the horns
- Meaning: To tackle a problem head-on
Rester bouche bée
- Pronunciation in English: rest-ay boosh bay
- Literal translation: To stay mouth agape
- Meaning: To be dumbfounded or amazed
Rire sous cape
- Pronunciation in English: rear soo kap
- Literal translation: To laugh under the cape
- Meaning: To laugh secretly; to snicker covertly
Rouler quelqu’un dans la farine
- Pronunciation in English: roo-lay kel-kun dan lah fah-reen
- Literal translation: To roll someone in the flour
- Meaning: To deceive or trick someone
Sauter du coq à l’âne
- Pronunciation in English: so-tay dew kok a lan
- Literal translation: To jump from the rooster to the donkey
- Meaning: To jump from one subject to another randomly
Se mettre le doigt dans l’œil
- Pronunciation in English: suh met-truh luh dwah dan lweel
- Literal translation: To put one’s finger in the eye
- Meaning: To be completely mistaken
Se mettre martel en tête
- Pronunciation in English: suh met-truh mar-tell ahn tet
- Literal translation: To put a hammer in one’s head
- Meaning: To worry needlessly; to fret
Tenir le haut du pavé
- Pronunciation in English: tuh-neer luh oh dew pav-ay
- Literal translation: To hold the high part of the paving
- Meaning: To be in a superior or advantageous position
Tirer le diable par la queue
- Pronunciation in English: tee-ray luh dee-abl par lah kuh
- Literal translation: To pull the devil by the tail
- Meaning: To live hand to mouth; to scrape by
Tirer les marrons du feu
- Pronunciation in English: tee-ray lay mah-ron dew fuh
- Literal translation: To pull the chestnuts from the fire
- Meaning: To do the dirty work (often for someone else’s benefit)
Tourner autour du pot
- Pronunciation in English: toor-nay oh-too-roo dew po
- Literal translation: To turn around the pot
- Meaning: To beat around the bush
Tourner casaque
- Pronunciation in English: toor-nay ka-sak
- Literal translation: To turn cassock
- Meaning: To switch sides or allegiances
Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué
- Pronunciation in English: vondr lah po duh loors 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
Vivre sur le pied de guerre
- Pronunciation in English: vee-vruh sewr luh pee-ay duh gair
- Literal translation: To live on the war foot
- Meaning: To be always ready for action or conflict
In conclusion, these 59 old French idioms offer a window into the cultural nuances and linguistic creativity of the French language. Understanding these expressions can enhance your appreciation of French literature, conversation, and history. We hope this guide has been informative and adds a little extra flavor to your language skills!