ça casse pas trois pattes à un canard
Expression USED In the past BY Everyone
(it doesn't break three legs to a duck ) • Not really impressive or significant. It is a bit old now, more used for humoristic emphasis.
"Franchement, ce film ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard."
"Honestly, that movie doesn't break three paws to a duck."
parler français comme une vache espagnole
Idiom USED Frequently BY Everyone
(to speak French like a Spanish cow) • To speak French terribly.
"Il parle le français comme une vache espagnole, donc je ne l'ai pas compris."
"He speaks French like a Spanish cow, so I didn't understand him."
con comme une valise sans poignées
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some people
(dumb like a suitcase without handles) • Used to describe someone who is really dumb.
"Je ne peux pas le voir ce type, il est con comme une valise sans poignées."
"I can't stand this guy, he's dumb like a suitcase without handles."
Abbreviation USED Frequently BY Young People
Abbreviation of "à ce qu'il paraît", meaning apparently or it seems like.
"Askip les Russes ont trouvé un vaccin contre le covid."
"Apparently the Russians have found a vaccine against covid."
syn
Expression USED On Occasion BY Some People
(being hungry like a wolf) • An expression used to say that you’re starving.
"J’ai une faim de loup, je pourrais manger un lion."
"I am hungry like a wolf, I could eat a lion."
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."
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?"
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"
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!"
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."
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."
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."
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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!"
alt
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."
Submitted August 2020 by alex2208
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!"
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."
alt
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."
syn
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!"
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."
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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."
