Tag Archives: Claudel-Gilly

Comme un Éléphant

Posted on 4 June 2012 by Tournesol

Two more French phrases: Comme un éléphant dans un magasin de porcelaine : Literally: Like an elephant in a porcelain shop: Like a bull in a china shop. On ne peut pas sonner la cloche et suivre la procession : … Continue reading →

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Sixes and sevens

Posted on 6 May 2012 by Tournesol

Two more French phrases: Se mélanger les pinceaux : Literally: To muddle one’s paint brushes: To be at sixes and sevens. Avoir les yeux plus grand que l’estomac : Literally: To have eyes larger than one’s stomach: To bite off … Continue reading →

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Les carottes sont cuites

Posted on 2 May 2012 by Tournesol

Three “cheerful” expressions today: Aujourd’hui en chair, demain en bière : Literally: Today in the flesh, tomorrow in the coffin: NOT: Today in a chair, tomorrow in beer (two false friends here): Here today, gone tomorrow. Les carottes sont cuites … Continue reading →

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Avaler son parapluie

Posted on 30 April 2012 by Tournesol

Two more French phrases: Il a avalé son parapluie : Literally: He has swallowed his umbrella: He is uptight (stiff and starchy). S’entendre comme des larrons en foire : Literally: To understand one another like thieves in the market: To … Continue reading →

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Quand on parle du loup…

Posted on 29 April 2012 by Tournesol

Two more French expressions: Quand on parle du loup, on en voit la queue : Literally: When one speaks of the wolf, one sees his tail: Talk of the devil (and he’s sure to appear). Plus ça change, plus c’est … Continue reading →

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Castles in Spain…

Posted on 11 April 2012 by Tournesol

Two more French to English sayings : Construire des châteaux en Espagne : Literally: To build castles in Spain: To build castles in the air. Il ne faut pas réveiller le chat qui dort : One should not waken the … Continue reading →

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Chassez le naturel…

Posted on 12 February 2012 by Tournesol

Two more French phrases: Chassez le naturel, il revient au galop : Literally: Chase off what is natural and it comes galloping back: The leopard cannot change its spots. Pratiquer la politique de l’autruche : Literally: To follow the strategy … Continue reading →

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Les mouches – The flies

Posted on 9 February 2012 by Tournesol

If you want to know more about flies, here are two more French phrases: Il prend une massue pour tuer une mouche : Literal translation: He takes a club to kill a fly: To use a sledgehammer to crack a … Continue reading →

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Tomber comme un cheveu…

Posted on 8 February 2012 by Tournesol

If you want to say ‘A blot on the landscape’ in French, you should say: ‘ Tomber comme un cheveu sur la soupe’. Literally this translates as: ‘To fall like a hair in the soup’. And for  ‘To carry coals to Newcastle’, … Continue reading →

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Du dit au fait…

Posted on 8 February 2012 by Tournesol

Two more French expressions for you: Du dit au fait, il y a un grand trait : Literally: From speech to action is a long gap: Fine words butter no parsnips. Trop parler nuit, trop gratter cuit : Literally: Too … Continue reading →

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