French Expressions

Not surprisingly, many French expressions are related to food.

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!

See Also