French France

être sur la paille

Expression USED On Occasion BY Everyone

(to be on straw) • A lack of money, being broke.

"- Tu veux aller au restaurant ? - Je ne peux pas, je suis sur la paille."

"- Do you want to go to the restaurant ? - Can't. I'm on straw."

Confirmed by 7 people

French France

moula

Slang USED Frequently BY Teens

(n.) • One of the many slang words used to mean "money". This word is actually used in English as well to mean the same thing (moolah).

"Hé mec, t'as d'la moula?"

"Yo bro, got any money?"

Confirmed by 7 people

alt

French French speaking countries

thune

Slang USED Frequently BY Teens

(n.) • One of the many slang words used to mean "money"

"Hé mec, t'as d'la thune?"

"Yo bro, you got any cash?"

Confirmed by 6 people

French France

bcp

Abbreviation USED Frequently BY Young People

An abbreviation of "beaucoup", meaning "a lot", "much", or "many", used in texting or messaging.

"Il fait bcp trop chaud pour dormir"

"It is much too hot to sleep"

Confirmed by 12 people

French France

planter les choux

Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Everyone

(to plant the cabbages) • It is used when you walk on a wet soil wearing shoes with heels, and the heels sink into the soil.

"Ah il a plu hier, je vais planter les choux avec ces chaussures!"

"Oh it was rainy yesterday, I'm gonna plant the cabbages with these shoes!"

Confirmed by 2 people

French France

avoir un poil dans la main

Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone

(to have a hair in your hand) • Used to describe someone as lazy.

"Ce n’est pas un forcené du travail, il a un sacré poil dans la main."

"He is not a hard-worker, he has such a long hair in his hand."

Confirmed by 8 people

French France

raconter des salades

Expression USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(to tell salads) • To tell lies.

"On ne sait jamais le vrai du faux, il raconte toujours des salades."

"You never know what right and what’s wrong, he’s always telling salads."

Confirmed by 6 people

French France

fumer comme un pompier

Expression USED Very frequently BY Almost Everyone

(to smoke like a fireman) • Used to imply that someone smokes a lot.

"Les Français ont la réputation de fumer comme des pompiers."

"French people are known to smoke like firemen."

Confirmed by 5 people

French French speaking countries

donner sa langue au chat

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(to give one's tongue to the cat) • Indicates that you don't have the answer to a question or don't want to try to guess it anymore.

"M. & Mme Gator ont un fils, comment s'appelle-t-il?" "Je donne ma langue au chat!"

"Mr & Mrs Gator have a son, what is his name?" "I give my tongue to the cat."

Confirmed by 5 people

syn

French France

à plus dans le bus

Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(see you later in the bus ) • It's a rhyme to say goodbye - à plus (see you) dans le bus (in the bus).

"Salut!" "À plus dans le bus!"

"Bye!" "See you later in the bus!"

Confirmed by 7 people

syn

French Belgium

a tantôt

Standard Phrase USED Frequently BY Everyone

See you later.

"Je vais y aller maintenant, à tantôt!"

"I'm going now, see you later!"

Confirmed by 3 people

alt

French France

tricoter

Idiom USED On Occasion BY Everybody

(knitting) • The action a cat does when it pulls its paws one after the other when it's happy and calm. Known in English as making biscuits

"Regarde le chat, il est trop mignon il tricote."

"Look at the cat, it's so cute it's making biscuits."

French France

C'est pas Versailles ici!

Expression USED Frequently BY Parents and grandparents

(It's not Versailles in here) • Typically used by parents when their children leave a room but forget to turn off the light or if they use electricity in a wasteful way. Reference to the Palace of Versailles.

"Éteins la lumière quand tu sors de ta chambre, c'est pas Versailles ici!"

"Turn off the lights when go out of your room, we're not in Versailles here!"

Confirmed by 9 people

French France

chanter en yaourt

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(to sing in yoghurt) • When a person sings in a foreign language unknowingly or doesn’t know the lyrics and so it sounds like gibberish.

"Quand elle imite Beyoncé, elle chante en yaourt."

"When she imitates Beyoncé, she sings in yogurt."

Confirmed by 8 people

alt

French France

Kevin

Name USED On Occasion BY People Under 40

(n.) • It is used to talk about a person on Internet who's dumb and immature. It is quite a masculine equivalent to a Karen in English.

"Les pires commentaires sur YouTube, c'est ceux des Kevin de 15 ans qui ne savent même pas écrire."

"The worst comments on YouTube are those by 15-year old Kevins who don't even know how to write."

Confirmed by 5 people

syn

French France

poser un lapin

Expression USED On Occasion BY Older Generations

(to put down a rabbit) • To stand somebody up.

"Mon crush n’est jamais venu au rendez-vous que je lui avais donné, il m’a trop posé un lapin!"

"My crush never came to the appointment I gave him, he put me down such a rabbit!"

Confirmed by 9 people

French France

On ne fait pas d’un âne un cheval de course

Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone

(You do not make a racehorse out of a donkey) • You do not make a brilliant and clever person out of a stupid one.

"Tu te rends compte elle ne sais même pas qui est Barack Obama?" "En même temps on ne fait pas d’un âne un cheval de course!"

"Do you realize that she does not even know who Barack Obama is?" "Well, you do not make a racehorse out of a donkey."

Confirmed by 6 people

syn

French France

Quand les poules auront des dents

Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone

(When hens grow teeth) • Something that will never ever happen.

"J'espère gagner la lotterie!" "Oui, quand les poules auront des dents."

"I hope to win the lottery!" "Yeah, when hens grow teeth."

Confirmed by 8 people

syn

French France

roule ma poule

Interjection USED Frequently BY Anybody

(roll, my hen) • A colloquial way to invite people to leave with you. Not that it means much but it is based on the rhyme in "oule". Can be a joking way to get someone to hurry up.

"Allez, roule ma poule!".

"Come on, let's go!"

Confirmed by 5 people

French France

il y a une couille dans le potage

Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People

(there is a testicle in the soup) • When something is unexplained or not normal. (We’ll never know if the problem is the only one testicle or the fact that’s in the soup).

"Ma voiture ne démarre pas - il y a une couille dans le potage."

"My car won't start - there's a testicle in the soup."

Confirmed by 3 people