passer comme une lettre à la poste
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some
(to fit like a letter in the letterbox) • Used to describe a situation where everything goes smoothly or as planned. To go off without a hitch.
"J'ai été obligé d'expliquer pourquoi je n'étais pas en classe hier." "Et ?" "Mon histoire est passée comme une lettre à la poste"
"I had to explain why I did not attend class yesterday" "And?" "My story fit like a letter in the letterbox"
Ça rentre comme papa dans maman.
Expression USED Frequently BY Young and middle-aged people
(It fits like daddy in mommy.) • To fit like a glove.
"- T'as pu rentrer la voiture dans le garage ? - Ouais, elle est rentrée comme papa dans maman."
"- Did the car fit in the garage? - Yeah, it fits like daddy in mommy."
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Everyone
(to have a spider on the ceiling) • Describes someone who is not the brightest or someone crazy. If a spider has the space to make a net inside your head, it is not a good sign, as the spider lives in a room that is not used a lot.
"N'écoute pas ce mec, il a une araignée au plafond." "Ton pote est un peu bizarre, il doit avoir une araignée au plafond."
"Don't listen to this guy, he has a spider on the ceiling." "Your mate is a bit weird, he must have a spider on the ceiling."
Expression USED On Rare Occasion BY Anyone
(Well seen, the blind!) • This is something you may say to someone who just discovered something obvious. This is obviously a pun, and "bien vu" actually translates to "well spotted", "good catch".
"T'as déjà remarqué que presque tous les salons de coiffures ont un jeu de mot dans leur nom ?" "Bien vu, l'aveugle !"
"Have you ever noticed that almost every hairdressing salon has a pun in its name?" "Well seen, the blind!"
Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone
(to have the IQ of an oyster ) • Used to say that someone is really stupid, that someone has no brain.
"Elle est vraiment débile, elle a le QI d'une huître !"
"She's so dumb, she has the IQ of an oyster !"
Slang USED On Occasion BY Mostly used by young people
(to be in the sauce) • You can use this expression to say that you are in trouble.
"Il n’aurait pas dû dire ça, il va être dans la sauce."
"He should not have said that, he is gonna be in the sauce."
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(to be bored like a dead rat) • It is used to express extreme boredom.
"Il n'y a rien à faire ici." "Ouais, je m'ennuie comme un rat mort."
"There's nothing to do here." "Yeah, I'm bored to death."
aimable comme une porte de prison
Expression USED Frequently BY Adults/old people
(as friendly as a prison's door) • Used to describe someone being rude or cold.
"Il ne m'a pas adressé un seul sourire du séjour, il est aimable comme une porte de prison."
"He didn't smile at me the whole trip, he is as friendly as a prison's door."
Name USED Very frequently BY Almost Everyone
(n.) • Slang term for euros. Very old slang word (19th) that used to designate a Franc. The term suffered a decline in use after the changeover to the euro before being used frequently again.
"T’as pas dix balles ?"
"Do you have ten euros ?"
Name USED Frequently BY Adults
A masculine name which can be used to designate a boyfriend.
"Julien, c'est ton Jules?"
"Is Julian your Jules?"
Name USED On Occasion BY Young People
It is a name used to refer to a stereotypical man, who is in love with his car and practices car tuning. Other characteritics would be wearing a mulet, watching football (and Pimp My Ride), drinking a lot of beer, calling his wife "mum", etc.
"Un mec qui pose à côté de sa voiture sur sa photo de profil, c'est clairement un jacky!"
"A guy posing next to his car on his profile pic is clearly a jacky!"
French
| Creole
Reunion Island,
France
Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • (ears) • In Reunion Island, France, a tourist (usually from the continent) is called a "zoreille", which is Reunion Creole for "oreilles" (ears), because tourists tend to put their hand to their ear to mean they don't understand the Creole language.
"C'est les vacances, il y à des zoreilles partout sur l'île."
"Here come the holidays, zoreilles are everywhere on the island."
Expression USED Frequently BY Adults
(interj.) • (Go on, Guingamp ) • Guingamp is a French town and famous football team. Their motto is "en avant, Guingamp!". We use it in French as a way of encouraging to get going.
"On fait quoi ce soir?" "Ça te dit de se faire un resto?" "Bah ouais, pourquoi pas." "Allez, en avant Guingamp!"
"What shall we do this evening?" "What about a restaurant?" "Hell, why not." "Go on, Guingamp!"
Expression USED On Occasion BY Mostly young people
(It is not my excitation) • It is used to mean that something is not your taste, not your cup of tea or not what you usually like.
"Tu viens regarder le match avec nous ce soir ?" "Non merci, le foot, c'est pas mon délire."
"Are you coming to see the match with us tonight?" "No, thank you. Football is not my excitation."
Expression USED Very frequently BY Everyone
(to take the air) • To go somewhere else.
"Cet été, on va prendre l'air en Grèce."
"This summer, we're taking the air in Greece."
French
Poitou-Charentes, Normandy,
France
Word USED Very frequently BY Most people
(v.) • To lock a door. It comes from the time you used a bar to keep a door closed.
"T'as barré la porte ?"
"Did you lock the door?"
French
North of France,
France
Standard Phrase USED On Occasion BY Some People
(it's pouring) • Used when it rains heavily.
"Il vaut mieux rester à l'intérieur vu qu'il drache dehors."
"It's better to stay inside since it's pouring outside."
pleuvoir comme vache qui pisse
Expression USED On Occasion BY Adults
(to rain like a pissing cow) • When there is heavy rain.
"Regarde dehors, il pleut comme vache qui pisse!"
"Look outside, it's raining like a pissing cow!"
Idiom USED Frequently BY Everyone
(it's raining ropes) • Used to describe heavy rainfall.
"Oh non, il pleut des cordes et je dois rentrer à pied !"
"Oh no, it's raining ropes and I have to go back home on foot!"
Expression USED Frequently BY Everyone
(to send oneself to the air) • To have sex, to get laid.
"Mon voisin passe son temps à s'envoyer en l'air, et il n'est pas discret."
"My neighbour spends his time sending himself to the air, and he is not discreet."