Idioms

Question 1

It’s like giving jam to pigs (giving something valuable to those who don’t deserve it?)

Answer 1

C’est donner de la confiture aux cochons.

Question 2

eating like a pig (eating with poor manners)

Answer 2

manger comme un cochon

Question 3

A pig couldn’t find its piglets (when referring to a dirty room)

Answer 3

un cochon n’y retrouverait pas ses petits

Question 4

Don’t wake that sleeping cat (don’t stir up something)

Answer 4

Ne réveillez pas le chat qui dort

Question 5

A cat in your throat (used when one’s voice is hoarse)

Answer 5

un chat dans la gorge

Question 6

Call a cat a cat (call it like it is)

Answer 6

appelez un chat un chat

Question 7

When the cat’s away, the mice start to play dance (when no one’s watching, people will do whatever they want)

Answer 7

Quand le chat est parti, les souris dansent.

Question 8

To give your tongue to the cat (to give up)

Answer 8

donner sa langue au chat

Question 9

Sleep like marmots (sleep heavy)

Answer 9

dormir comme une marmotte

Question 10

when chickens have teeth (referring to something that is very unlikely to ever happen)

Answer 10

quand les poules auront des dents

Question 11

like a chicken with a knife (confused)

Answer 11

t’es comme une poule qui a trouvé un couteau

Question 12

Sell the bear’s skin before it’s been killed. (celebrating a success before it’s final/certain)

Answer 12

Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué.

Question 13

a badly licked bear (referring to an uncouth or unsociable person)

Answer 13

un ours mal léché

Question 14

To take the bull by the horns (to proactively take an opportunity)

Answer 14

Prendre le taureau par les cornes

Question 15

sly as a fox (very sneaky)

Answer 15

rusé comme un renard

Question 16

stubborn as a mule (very stubborn)

Answer 16

têtu comme une mule

Question 17

to be given a rabbit (to be stood up)

Answer 17

se faire poser un lapin

Question 18

to have the cockroach (to be depressed or down in the dumps)

Answer 18

avoir le cafard

Question 19

to drown the fish (to bamboozle or fool someone)

Answer 19

noyer le poisson

Question 20

to have a spider on the ceiling (equivalent to bats in the belfry??)

Answer 20

avoir une araignée au plafond

Question 21

A drink, or I kill the dog! (said when really thirsty, i.e. in a tavern/bar)

Answer 21

À boire, ou j’tue le chien !

Question 22

to good cat, good rat (tit for tat)

Answer 22

À bon chat, bon rat

Question 23

Ducky cold (used when it’s really cold)

Answer 23

Faire un froid de canard

Question 24

As frank as a backtracking donkey (when someone’s lying)

Answer 24

Être franc comme un âne qui recule

Question 25

jump from the rooster to the donkey (refers to moving quickly from one subject to another)

Answer 25

Passer du coq à l’âne

Question 26

to bridle a donkey by the tail (referring to doing something that lacks common sense)

Answer 26

Brider l’âne par la queue

Question 27

to be as bored as a dead rat (to be very, very bored)

Answer 27

S’ennuyer comme un rat mort

Question 28

to let the merinos piss (to not react to provocation)

Answer 28

Laisser pisser le mérinos

Question 29

The cow! (My God!)

Answer 29

La vache !

Question 30

Speak of the wolf (and you see its tail) (Speak of the devil, and he appears)

Answer 30

Quand on parle du loup (on en voit la queue)

Question 31

It's raining like a pissing cow.

Answer 31

Il pleut comme vache qui pisse.