Excuse my French

Excuse my French

Genevieve de Rohan Willner

This publication explores idioms within the French and English languages.

An Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase whose sense means something

different from what the words literally imply. Therefore there is no way to

directly translate an idiom whilst retaining the original meaning. Let’s get

the ball rolling...

1

- Save it

for

a r

ain

y d

ay -

2

- Bite t

he h

and t

hat

feeds y

ou -

3

- R

oll in t

he h

ay -

4

- H

ave a

lot

on o

nes p

late

-

5

- M

ind y

our

ow

n b

eesw

ax -

6

- M

ake a

mouta

in o

ut

of a m

ole

hill -

7

8

- In

a p

ickle

-

9

- D

on’t g

ive u

p t

he s

hip

-

10

-

Lik

e a

bolt o

ut

of th

e b

lue -

11

- M

ad a

s a

hatt

er

-

12

- Pull y

ourself u

p b

y y

ou’re b

oots

ctr

aps -

Il faut toujours garder une poire pour la soif

Cracher dans la soupe

Croquer la pomme

Avoir du pain sur la planche

S’occuper de ses ognions

Va te faire cuir un oeuf

Etre dans la puree

Lache pas la patate

Tomber comme un cheveu sur la soupe

Sucrer les fraises

Mettre du beurre aux Epinards

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

One should always save a pear to quench one’s thirst

To spit in one’s soupe

Bite the apple

To have bread on the bread board

To look after one’s own onions

Go and cook yourself an egg

To be in the mash

Don’t drop the potato

To fall like a hair on the soupe

Sugar the strawberries

To put butter in the spinach