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How to amaze tout le Monde with Everyday French

 
 


comme un cheveu sur la soupe

at the most awkward moment

Literally, "like a hair in the soup".
A metaphor used, for example, to characterize the arrival of an uninvited guest.


 

retourner le couteau dans la plaie

rub salt in old wounds

Also translated as "reopen old wounds";
literally, "stick the knife back in the wound". Ouch!


Ecoutez
retourner le couteau dans la plaie





 
c'est pas de la tarte
it'is no pushover

Nor is it a cream puff.
The French locution is usually translated as "it's no easy matter" or " it's no joke" .
More literally, "it's not a piece of cake", and even more literally as "it' not a tart".


Ecoutez
c'est pas de la tarte





 
c'est pas la mer à boire
it is not an impossibility

Also translated as "it is not an endless task"; literally , "it is not the sea to drink"?



Ecoutez
c'est pas la mer à boire




 
une de perdues, dix de retrouvées
you can't win ' em all
Specially to Sergio.


Also translated as "win a few, lose a few", almost literally as "lose one, find ten"? No matter how translated, clearly the message conveyed is "don't worry, there are lots of good fish in the sea."



Ecoutez
une de perdues, dix de retrouvées





 
on pourrait entendre une mouche voler
you could have heard a pin drop

Literally, "you could have heard a fly fly". Which language says it better?


Ecoutez
on pourrait entendre une mouche voler




 

lancer une idée en l'air
brainstorm

Also translated as "toss out an idea" . Literally, "toss an idea in the air". And wheter it lands in Silicon Valley?


Ecoutez
lancer une idée en l'air




 

chassez le naturel, il revient au galop !
what's bred in the bones comes out in the flesh

Translated almost lierally, "drive out the natural, it comes back in a hurry" . At any rate, try as we may, we cannot easily change our essential natures


Ecoutez
chassez le naturel, il revient au galop !




 

blanc comme un cachet d'aspirine
white as a sheet!

Literally, "white as an aspirin tablet."

Ecoutez
blanc comme un cachet d'aspirine




 

changes de disque !
give it a rest!

Also translated as "change the subject!" or "let's drop it!"
The literal meaning is "change the record!"


Ecoutez
changes de disque !




 
avoir quelqu'un dans le nez    
bear a grudge

Literally, "have someone in the nose". Wow!

Ecoutez
avoir quelqu'un dans le nez




 
comme un cheveu sur la soupe    
at the most awkward moment

Literally, "like a hair in the soup". A metaphor used, for example, to characterize the arrival of an invited guest.

Ecoutez
comme un cheveu sur la soupe




 
revenons à nos mouton    
back to business   

Better translated as "let'get back to the subject at hand"; literally, "let' s return to our sheep"

Ecoutez
revenons à nos mouton




 
raconter des salades     
spin yarns or tell stories   

More literally, "tell lies". Salade, of course, also translates as "salad", but that is not what is meant here.

Ecoutez
raconter des salades




 
être heureux comme un poisson dans l'eau    
be happy as a pig in shit

More conveniently and literally translated as "be happy as a fich in water".

Ecoutez
comme un poisson dans l'eau




 
au pied de la lettre    
literally

Also translated as "exactly" or "to the very letter"; literally, "to the foot of the letter".

Ecoutez
with a french accent
with an american accent
au pied de la lettre


 
être soigné aux petits oignons    
be looked after really well

A masterpiece of culinary idiom, also translated as "be given excellent attention"

Ecoutez
être soigné aux petits oignons



 
Il parle français comme une vache espagnole
he massacres the French language


Literally, "he speaks French like a Spanish cow"

with a french accent
with a spanish accent
Comme une vache espagnole





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Book reference : "Les Bons mots, How to amaze tout le monde with everyday french" by Eugene Ehrlich
Synthese de la parole - le Démonstrateur CNETmultilingue