Idioms can totally put a damper on any language learning, but they\u2019re also fun to learn and can give you a quick peek at the culture and humour behind the language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The French particularly have its own set of funny idioms that range in level of absurdity from mildly chuckle-worthy to off-the-charts weird. Chalk it up to the French people\u2019s humour and clever play of words and brace yourself to learn them for future use, or simply for entertainment purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, you\u2019ll find 20 fun French idioms that range from the quirky to the downright ludicrous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/french-idioms.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- „Tir\u00e9 par les cheveux“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
When translated, this means \u201cpulled by the hair\u201d, but what it really means is that something is \u201cfar-fetched\u201d. Kinda far-fetched, don\u2019t you think? Not when you imagine someone pulling ideas out of their hair. Pretty certain that won\u2019t turn out to be good ideas, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Avoir une araign\u00e9e au plafond“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
This idiom literally translates to \u201chaving a spider on the ceiling\u201d. But its meaning is far more difficult to guess. Would you believe that this is actually similar to the American expression, ‚you have a screw loose‘ or you\u2019re kind of not right in the head? What the spider\u2019s got to do with it, no one really knows for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Il en a bav\u00e9 des ronds de chapeau“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
When some French-speaking dude tells you a story about how he \u201cdribbled hat circles\u201d, don\u2019t take it literally. What he meant is that his eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock or because he\u2019s having a real bad time. Poor guy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „\u00catre comme une poule qui a trouv\u00e9 un couteau“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
While the literal translation of this idiom is to be \u201clike a chicken who has found a knife\u201d, what it really means is to be at a complete loss. Because, of course, a chicken wouldn\u2019t know what to do with a knife, right? Unless it\u2019s a mutant psycho chicken?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Se regarder en chiens de fa\u00efence.“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
This idiom literally says \u201cto look at each other like earthenware dogs\u201d but basically means, to look at each other coldly, with distrust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that I think about it, these two china dogs probably really do hate each other\u2019s guts. I mean, look at that smirk and that cold \u201cI\u2019m not talking to you\u201d glare. Mean, petty dogs. Tsk. Bad doggy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- „Fumer comme un sapeur“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Now this expression is straightforward enough and quite similar to \u201csmoke like a chimney\u201d. It can be literally translated as „to smoke like a fireman<\/em>„, but just means that someone smokes too damn much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Haut comme trois pommes“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
A small person can be described by the French as haut comme trois pommes which translates to\u00a0being as tall as three apples<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- „Les bras m’en tombent“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
When the French are trying to tell you that they are stunned, the words can be directly translated as „my arms are falling<\/em>„. No need to panic and call an ambulance when this happens, okay? It\u2019s just an idiom laced with good old melodrama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Ne pas avoir invent\u00e9 la poudre“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a bit of an insult, this one. Someone who\u2019s a little dumb can be referred to by the French as one \u201cwho<\/em> have not invented gunpowder<\/em>„.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Poule mouill\u00e9e“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
It means \u201cwet chicken\u201d literally, but the real meaning is \u201ccoward\u201d. What is it with chickens and cowards, anyway??<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was just for starters. Ready to take it to the next level?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/illustration-humoristique-dune-poule-design-pour-adultes-et-enfants.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n- „Avoir des casseroles au cul“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
We start off the second part of the list with this expression which literally means \u201cto have saucepans hung on the ass\u201d. <\/em>It means to be haunted by a scandal which, come to think of it, sort of makes sense considering that a scandal could be likened to noisily clattering down the hall and banging saucepans as you walk. A terribly awful situation indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Avoir le cul bord\u00e9 de nouilles“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
When the French tell you that you\u2019ve got an ass full of noodles, don\u2019t take it as an offense. It only means that you are one lucky dude. Just don\u2019t ask me what the noodles have got to do with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „\u00c7a ne casse pas trois pattes \u00e0 un canard“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
While the direct translation, \u201cit doesn\u2019t break three legs to a duck\u201d has a bit of weird flavor to it, rest assured that this idiom means no harm to any duck. Considering that a duck only has two legs, among other things, this is actually similar to the English expression \u201cit has nothing to write home about\u201d. Meaning, there\u2019s nothing spectacular about a particular thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The literal meaning says, \u201cit’s no reason for whipping a cat<\/em>„, and again, no need to worry as no cats are harmed in the making of this idiom. What it means is that it is nothing to make a fuss about. Really.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „La vache!“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
A bit like the American expression of surprise or amazement, \u201choly cow!\u201d except this cow\u2019s not holy. Literally, it means „the cow!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- „Ne pas y aller avec le dos de la cuill\u00e8re“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Literally, it says: „Not to go there with the back of the spoon\u201d. <\/em>If you\u2019re trying to figure out what this means, stop. It\u2019s a bit difficult to guess, but what it means is that there is no half-measures with a certain person. Like, he\/she is an all or nothing type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Noyer le poisson“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Yet another animal-related idiom, but this means to evade an issue. But the literal meaning? „To drown the fish<\/em>„. How to do that? Beats me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Parler \u00e0 tort et \u00e0 travers“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
It means to babble or to yammer but the direct translation states \u201cto speak wrongly and crosswise<\/em>„. Yeah. Crosswise talking. Whatever that is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Prendre entre quatre yeux“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The exact meaning is „to take someone between four eyes<\/em>“ but the logical meaning is to have an argument with someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- „Manger \/ sucer les pissenlits par la racine“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
This idiom is actually dark and poetic. It literally means \u201cto eat \/ suck the dandelions by the root\u201d, but the real meaning is to be dead. Kind of paints a morbid yet poignant picture, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/pissenlits.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIf you have found this article funny, please share it with your friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Thank you for reading.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oh, French idioms. They can be such a bummer at times. Just when you think you already got the hang of a foreign language, idioms rear their crazy little heads and go: nah-uh! Not so fast! Imagine overhearing a French conversation that translates into something…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-french_language"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4775"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4775\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ltg-academy.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- „Manger \/ sucer les pissenlits par la racine“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Prendre entre quatre yeux“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Parler \u00e0 tort et \u00e0 travers“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Noyer le poisson“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Ne pas y aller avec le dos de la cuill\u00e8re“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „La vache!“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „\u00c7a ne casse pas trois pattes \u00e0 un canard“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Avoir le cul bord\u00e9 de nouilles“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Avoir des casseroles au cul“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Poule mouill\u00e9e“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Ne pas avoir invent\u00e9 la poudre“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Les bras m’en tombent“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Haut comme trois pommes“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Fumer comme un sapeur“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Se regarder en chiens de fa\u00efence.“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „\u00catre comme une poule qui a trouv\u00e9 un couteau“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Il en a bav\u00e9 des ronds de chapeau“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- „Avoir une araign\u00e9e au plafond“<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n