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French > French Idioms 2023 > Flashcards

French Idioms 2023 Flashcards

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1
Q

C’est un véritable bourreau de travail.

A

He’s a real workaholic.

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2
Q

Celui-là, je ne peux pas l’encadrer.

A

I really can’t stand him.

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3
Q

se faire coffrer

A

to be sent down

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4
Q

avoir l’odorat développé

A

to have a keen sense of smell

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5
Q

le champagne me titillait le palais

A

the champagne tickled my palate

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6
Q

Serrer, resserrer les boulons :

A

réorganiser avec plus de rigueur.

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7
Q

il lui manque un boulon, à ce type!

A

(familier)
this guy’s got a screw loose!

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8
Q

serrer les boulons

A

(familier & figuré) to tighten the screws

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9
Q

être tenaillé par la faim/par le remords

A

to be racked with hunger/tormented by remorse

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10
Q

to show one’s cards

A

abattre ses cartes

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11
Q

l’ABC du métier

A

the rudimentary stage of the job

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12
Q

Un abcès de fixation

A

a point of grievance

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13
Q

to be out of touch

A

être aux abonnés absents

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14
Q

the absent party is always to blame

A

les absents ont toujours tort

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15
Q

to get one’s stories straight

A

accorded ses violons

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16
Q

to hold on to something like grim death

A

s’accrocher aux branches

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17
Q

to stick to somebody like a limpet

A

s’accrocher à quelqu’un comme une moule à son rocher (comme une sangsue)

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18
Q

You can kiss it goodbye

A

tu peux te l’accrocher

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19
Q

to welcome someone with open arms

A

accueillir quelqu’un à bras ouverts

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20
Q

to mend one’s ways / turn over a new leaf

A

acheter une conduite

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21
Q

to set one’s mind at rest

A

par acquit de conscience

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22
Q

to put in a token appearance

A

faire acte de présence

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23
Q

un acte manqué

A

a subconsciously deliberate mistake

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24
Q

all is lost!

A

adieu Berthe !

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25
Q

always deal with the boss

A

Il vaut mieux s’adresser au Bon Dieu qu’à ses saints.

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26
Q

out of the woods

A

tiré (hors) d’affaire

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27
Q

it’s in the bag

A

l’affaire est dans le sac

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28
Q

that suits me fine
that is just the thing
that will come in very handy
that will do the trick

A

cela fera l’affaire

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29
Q

it’s a federal case

A

c’est tout une affaire

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30
Q

We have a deal

A

C’est une affaire entendue

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31
Q

He is in his element

A

Il est à son affaire

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32
Q

forthwith

A

toutes affaires cessantes

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33
Q

they settled his hash

A

Il lui ont fait son affaire.

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34
Q

It’s no small potatoe

A

Ce n’est pas une mince affaire

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35
Q

routine matters

A

les affaires courantes

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36
Q

to beard the lion in his den

A

affronter le fauve dans son antre

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37
Q

To face the music

A

affronter l’orage

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38
Q

to each his own

A

chaque âge a ses plaisirs

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39
Q

he does as he sees fit

A

il agit comme il l’entend

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40
Q

he is slow in the uptake

A

ce n’est pas un aigle

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41
Q

to become heated

A

tourner à l’aigre

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42
Q

to be quick as a flash

A

avoir des ailes au talon

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43
Q

avoir un coup dans l’aile

A

to be slightly drunk

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44
Q

donner des ailes à quelqu’un

A

to give someone wings

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45
Q

prendre quelqu’un sous son aille

A

to take someone under your wing

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46
Q

to run like the wind

A

avoir des ailes

47
Q

to clip someone‘s wings

A

couper OU rogner les ailes à quelqu’un

48
Q

kind like a bear with a sore head

A

aimable comme une porte de prison
aimable comme un manche à balai

49
Q

spare the rod and spoil the child

A

qui aime bien, châtie bien

50
Q

en avoir l’air et la chanson

A

to be what one looks like
to not just look it but be it too

51
Q

there is something in the air / wind

A

il y a quelque chose dans l’air

52
Q

sans avoir l’air d’y toucher

A

looking as if (so cool that) butter wouldn’t melt in his (her) mouth

53
Q

faire la manche

A

a. [mendiant] to beg
b. [musicien, mime] to busk (UK), to perform in the streets

54
Q

gagner la première manche

A

to win the first round

55
Q

to have somebody in one’s pocket

A

avoir quelqu’un dans sa manche

56
Q

you’re making a right mess of it

A

tu t’y prends comme un manche

57
Q

never say die (proverbe), always have another go

A

il ne faut jamais jeter le manche après la cognée

58
Q

être OU se mettre du côté du manche

A

to side with the winner

59
Q

to be high and mighty
to give oneself airs

A

se donner de grands airs

60
Q

hands down

A

l’air de rien

61
Q

he’s got some nerve

A

il ne manque pas d’air

62
Q

an idle promise

A

une promesse en l’air

63
Q

l’air du temps

A

the atmosphere at a certain time
The fashion

64
Q

to put in one’s two cents worth

A

ajouter son grain de sel

65
Q

you’ll have to cough up

A

il va falloir les aligner

66
Q

to forge ahead

A

aller de l’avant

67
Q

to go at it got and heavy
to put one’s heat and soul into something

A

y aller de bon cœur

68
Q

that’s pitching it a bit strong

A

comme tu y vas !
tu y vas un peu fort !

69
Q

to sail against the wind

A

aller à contre courant

70
Q

he didn’t mince his words

A

il n’y est pas allée avec le dos de la cuiller

71
Q

to cut to the quick

A

aller droit au cœur

72
Q

go to the devil

A

va te faire pendre ailleurs
va te faire cuire un oeuf
va au diable
va voir là-bas si j’y suis

73
Q

va te faire voir (chez les Grecs

A

go fly a kite
go chasse yourself around the block

74
Q

he didn’t pull any punches

A

il n’y est pas allé de main morte

75
Q

to jump out of the frying pan into the fire
to go from bad to worse

A

aller de mal en pis

76
Q

I’m going right away

A

J’y vais de ce pas

77
Q

it suits me down to the ground

A

Ça me va parfaitement

78
Q

aller son petit bonhomme de chemin

A

To plod along
To paddle along
To hit pay dirt (?)

79
Q

he makes no bones about it
He won’t beat around the bush
he goes straight to the point

A

il n’y va pas par quatre chemins

80
Q

that goes without saying
it stands to reason

A

cela va sans dire

81
Q

to be obvious

A

aller de soi

82
Q

aller à un train d’enfer

A

to go racing

83
Q

y aller à pattes

A

to ride shank’s mare
to walk on one’s own two feet

84
Q

to go to the dogs
to go down the drain

A

s’en aller à vau-l’eau

85
Q

he drifts with the tide

A

il va selon le vent

86
Q

it varies

A

ça va ça vient

87
Q

to succeed

A

aller loin

88
Q

a rush / careless job
any old how

A

un travail à la va vite

89
Q

a slapdash job

A

un travail à la va-comme-je-te-pousse

90
Q

to fork over the money
to shell out

A

allonger l’argent

91
Q

the beginning and the end

A

l’alpha et l’omega

92
Q

my alter ego

A

mon alter ego

93
Q

he is as tough as nails

A

il a l’âme chevillée au corps

94
Q

il est la cheville ouvrière du mouvement

A

he’s the mainspring OU kingpin of the movement

95
Q

je parie que ça t’en bouche un coin!

A

I bet you’re impressed!

96
Q

porter une botte à quelqu’un

A

a. (sens propre) to make a thrust at somebody
b. (figuré) to hit out OU to have a dig at somebody

97
Q

faire du foin

A

familier) [être bruyant] to make a din
b. [faire un scandale] to kick up a fuss

98
Q

to look for a needle in a haystack

A

chercher une aiguille OU une épingle dans une botte OU une meule de foin

99
Q

to see the mote in one’s brother’s eye but not the beam in one’s own

A

voir la paille dans l’œil du prochain et ne pas voir la poutre dans le sien

100
Q

une paille!

A

a mere bagatelle!

101
Q

to ruin somebody

A

mettre quelqu’un sur la paille

102
Q

he’s penniless

A

il est sur la paille

103
Q

un bouchon de carafe

A

a huge diamond OU rock

104
Q

tu pousses le bouchon un peu loin

A

you are going a bit far

105
Q

il a toujours vissé ses gosses

A

he always kept a tight rein on his kids

106
Q

to be glued to one’s chair

A

être vissé sur son siège

107
Q

a lost soul

A

une âme en peine

108
Q

he is a gambler at heart

A

il est joueur dans l’âme

109
Q

for love of it

A

pour l’amour de l’art

110
Q

faire l’andouille

A

to fool around
to play the giddy goat

111
Q

a dumb ox

A

une andouille

112
Q

fais pas l’andouille, touche pas la prise!

A

watch out, don’t touch the socket!

113
Q

espèce d’andouille!

A

you great dummy!

French (2 decks)

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