La French Connection

haikulala.com: learn something about France and its culture with French haikus

• French expression = literal incorrect translation
  English equivalent
• Filer à l’anglaise = To spin in the English way
  To take a French leave
• Nous ne sommes pas sortis de l’auberge = We are not out of the inn
  We are not out of the woods
• Avoir le cafard = to have the cockroach
  To have the blues
• Casser la croûte = to break the crust
  To have a bite
• Appuyer sur le champignon = to press on the mushroom
  To accelerate
• Aller au petit coin = to go to the little corner
  To go to the loo
• C’est du tout cuit = it is all cooked
  It’s in the bag
• Un froid de canard = a cold of duck
  Perishing weather
• Pas folle la guêpe ! = Not crazy the wasp!
  I’m/You’re/He’s/She’s no fool
• La fin des haricots= The end of green beans
  The last straw
• Rire jaune = To laugh yellow
  To give a hollow laugh
• Etre marteau = To be hammer-like
  To be crazy
• Broyer du noir = To crush black
  To be depressed
• Ça ne mange pas de pain = It doesn’t eat bread
  It is not important
• Une poule mouillée = A wet chicken
  A coward
• Donner sa langue au chat = To give the cat one’s tongue
  To give up
• Passer un savon = To pass a soap
  To tear a strip off someone
• Se mettre sur son trente et un = To put oneself on one’s thirty one
  To dress up in one’s finest clothes
• En voiture Simone = In the car Simone!
  Go ahead!