Idiomatic Flashcards

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1
Q

plus on est de fou plus on rit

A

The more the merrier

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2
Q

tout ce qui brille n’est pas or

A

All that glitters is not gold

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3
Q

aussitot dit, aussitot fait

A

No sooner said than done

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4
Q

se ressembler comme 2 gouttes d’eau

A

to be as like as two peas

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5
Q

la vie n’est pas un long fleuve tranquille

A

Life is not a bed of roses

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6
Q

ce n’est pas à un vieux singe qu’on apprend à faire des grimaces

A

Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs

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7
Q

faute de grive on mange des merles

A

Beggars can’t be choosers

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8
Q

attention chantier, travaux

A

Men at work !

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9
Q

loin des yeux, loin du coeur

A

Out of sight, out of mind

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10
Q

filer à l’anglaise

A

to take French leave

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11
Q

qui ne tente rien n’a rien

A

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

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12
Q

c’était une surprise totale

A

It was a bolt from the blue

→ The resignation of the chairman came like a bolt from the blue.

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13
Q

tous les 36 du mois

A

once in a blue moon

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14
Q

comme des petits pains

A

like hot cakes

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15
Q

être sage comme une image (2)

A

to be as good as gold

to be as easy as ABC

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16
Q

ils ne faisaient que bâtir des plans sur la comète(2)

A

they were only building castles in the air / in Spain

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17
Q

cela ne fait aucun doute que (2)

A

It is no wonder if/that…

It is little wonder that

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18
Q

ça s’annonce mal pour qn (3)

A

Things look grim
the future looks grim/ gloomy
it bodes ill for sb

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19
Q

ça ne te regarde pas

A

it’s none of your business

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20
Q

mêle toi de tes affaires

A

mind your own business

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21
Q

à le voir, il semblait …

A

He looked as if …

22
Q

à l’entendre, il semblait…

A

He sounded as if …

23
Q

en parallèle de ça, il y a …

A

running in parallel of this, there is…

24
Q

quand il s’agit de

A

when it comes to …

25
Q

il parait que / d’après ce qu’on dit / elle utiliserait

A

she is said/though/believed to use…

26
Q

si tel était le cas

A

Were it the case

27
Q

si d’aventure c’était le cas

A

should it be the case

28
Q

il incombe à qn de faire qc, c’est son devoir

A

The onus is on sb to do sg

29
Q

nous ne pouvons nous en prendre qu’à nous même

A

We have only ourselves to blame

30
Q

d’autant plus que…

A

all the more so as …

31
Q

il serait grand temps que (2)


A

It is [high/about] time ø sujet + preterit modal

ex : It is high time the skilled authorities decided to demolish these ugly buildings

32
Q

tu devrais être

A

you ought to be

33
Q

est ce que ca te dirait d’aller…?

A

Do you fancy going to…?

34
Q

si vous voulez bien pardonner mon langage

A

if you’ll pardon my French

35
Q

d’autant plus + adjectif + que

A

all the more+adj+ as/since

36
Q

très, des plus + adj

A

most + adjectif

He wrote most clearly

37
Q

de même (2)

A

by the same token = similarly

38
Q

du jour au lendemain

A

overnight

39
Q

à ce jour (4)

A

Up to now = Until now = So far = To date

40
Q

tout ça c’est bien beau / c’est bien joli de

A

it’s all very well (to + vb)

41
Q

pour l’amour de Dieu!

A

for goodness sake!

42
Q

Dieu seul sait

A

Goodness knows

43
Q

voulez vous un coup de main?

A

would you like a hand ?

44
Q

un problème sensible

A

a hot-button issue

45
Q

être inflexible au sujet de…

A

to take a tough line on…

46
Q

c’est plus intéressant que ça en à l’air

A

there is more to it than meets the eye

47
Q

Ça va mener à ta perte (2)

A

That will be your undoing

It will lead to your downfall

48
Q

Un homme averti en vaut 2

A

Forewarned is forearmed

49
Q

Il faut appeler un chat un chat

A

Let’s call a spade a spade

50
Q

De la même manière, semblable

A

Alike

The faces of the father and the son are alike.

51
Q

avec le recul

A

with the benefit of hindsight