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."
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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."
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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."
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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!"
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."
French
French speaking countries
quand les poules auront des dents
Expression USED On Occasion BY Almost Everyone
(when chicken have teeth) • Used to express that something will never happen.
“Quand est-ce que j’aurai une augmentation?" "Quand les poules auront des dents !”
“When will I get a pay rise?" "When chicken will have teeth!”
Interjection USED Frequently BY Young People
(so good!) • Used to say that something is cool.
"Je viens de gagner un voyage!" "Oh, trop bien!"
"I've just won a trip!" "That's so cool!"
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Expression USED Frequently BY Almost Everyone
(to rain strings) • To rain heavily.
"Je ne sors pas aujourd'hui, il tombe des cordes."
"I am not going out today, it is raining strings."
Standard Phrase USED Frequently BY Everyone
(n.) • (Shit !) • Used to wish good luck to someone when we want to avoid the actual "good luck" expression since it is believed that saying it actually brings bad luck.
"Merde pour l'examen de demain !"
"Shit for tomorrow's exam!"
æ
Acronym USED Very frequently BY Young People
Acronym for "j'en peux plus", meaning "I can't take it anymore". Initially used in text messages but now frequently heard in speech, pronounced not as "j'en peux plus" but as each letter sounds in the French alphabet. Used whenever we are tired by or annoyed at something.
"Mon ex n'arrête pas de m'appeler, jpp !"
"My ex won't stop calling me, I can't take it anymore!"
La vie n’est pas un long fleuve tranquille
Expression USED On Very Rare Occasion BY Older Generations
(Life is not a long calm river) • To explain that life is not always easy.
"Tu sais, la vie n’est pas un long fleuve tranquille."
"You know, life isn't a long calm river."
