Skip to main content

Full text of "French and English idioms and proverbs : with critical and historical notes"

See other formats 


INGUSH 


AND  PROVERBS 


ALPH.  MARTETTE 


Ex  Libris 
C.  K.  OGDEN 


Ex  Libris    •• 
K.  OGDE 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH 

IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 


FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH 
IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

WITH 

CRITICAL  AND  HISTORICAL  NOTES 


ALPHONSE  MARIETTE 

FELLOW  AND  EMERITUS   PROFESSOR  OF   FRENCH  LITERATURE  AT  KING'S 

COLLEGE,  LONDON  J  FORMERLY  FRENCH  EXAMINER  TO  THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  OXFORD  (LOCAL  BOARD),  TO  ETON  COLLEGE,  QUEEN'S  COLLEGE 

LONDON,  THE  CHARTERHOUSE,  CHELTENHAM  COLLEGE, 

ST.  PAUL'S  SCHOOL,  ETC.  ETC.  ;  EXAMINER  TO 

THE  SOCIETY  OF  ARTS 

Xate  jfrencb  'Cutoir  to  TEbeu-  1Roy>al  IMgbnesees 
an&  H>ucbe0s  of 


IN  THREE  VOLUMES 
VOL.  I 


LIBRAIRIE  HACHETTE  ET  CIE 

LONDON:   18  KING  WILLIAM  STREET,  STRAND,  W.C. 
PARIS  .  79  BOULEVARD  ST.  GERMAIN 

1896 
[All  rights  reserved] 


Printed  by  BALLANTYNE,  HANSON  &  Co. 
At  the  Ballantyne  Press 


BY   SPECIAL  GRACIOUS   PERMISSION 
TO 

THEIR    T{OYAL   HIGHNESSES 
THE   ^UKE  AND  T)UCHESS  OF   YORK 

In  grateful  remembrance  of  much  condescension 

and  kindness  received,  and  as  a  humble  token 

of  the  gratitude  and  profound  respect  of 

their  most  loyal  servant 

ALPH.  MARIETTE. 


105065O 


PREFACE 


AN  Italian  proverb  declares  that  a  man  has  lived  to 
no  purpose  unless  he  has  either  built  a  house,  begot- 
ten a  son,  or  written  a  book.  I  have  not  fulfilled  the 
first  of  these  requisites,  and  hope  never  to  do  so, 
although  I  have  unfortunately  done,  several  times 
over,  the  next  most  foolish  thing,  buying  a  house  for 
other  people  to  live  in.  As  to  the  second  qualification 
that  constitutes  a  useful  life,  I  am  thankful  to  say 
I  have  done  my  fair  share  of  parental  duty ;  nor  am 
I  a  novice  in  book-making.  Here  I  am  again,  how- 
ever, anxious  to  fulfil  once  more  the  third  requisite  of 
the  Italian  axiom,  once  more  trying  to  make  myself 
useful  in  my  generation  within  my  very  humble  means. 
Having  for  many  years  acted  as  examiner  in  several 
of  the  highest  and  largest  schools  and  colleges  in 
England,  and  having  been  privileged  to  conduct  for  no 
less  than  forty  years  without  interruption  the  French 
examinations  of  that  most  excellent  institution,  the 
Society  of  Arts,  whose  educational  work,  to  say  no- 
thing of  its  other  high  pursuits,  supplies  one  of  the 
noblest  specimens  of  English  self-government,  I  have 
naturally  had  ample  opportunities  of  noticing  the  utter 
ignorance  of  the  English  student  in  the  matter  of 
French  idioms  and  proverbs — an  ignorance  which  is 
more  than  equalled,  I  grieve  to  say,  by  that  of  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  French  community  as  to  the  niceties — 
I  had  almost  said  the  most  simple  features — of  the 
English  language. 


Vlll  PREFACE 

I  have  therefore  thought  it  right  to  do  my  best  in 
the  way  of  helping  to  fill  up  such  a  gap,  and  to  create 
an  interest  in  that  practical  direction.  And  I  may  add 
that  these  little  volumes  are  emphatically  a  work  of 
love,  prompted  by  a  genuine  desire  to  contribute  their 
small  share  to  the  more  complete  understanding  be- 
tween the  two  countries  for  which  they  are  intended. 
Whatever  friction,  under  the  baneful  impulse  of  that 
unamiable  lady,  Madame  la  Politique,  may  now  and 
then  arise  on  trifling  matters,  which  can  hardly  be 
altogether  avoided  between  two  countries  that  have  so 
many  points  of  contact,  it  is  my  fervent  prayer  that 
there  may  never  again  occur  any  serious  outbreak  of 
hostility  between  the  land  of  my  birth  and  deep  affec- 
tion on  the  one  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  the  home  of 
most  of  my  kindest  friends,  that  glorious  land  of 
liberty,  where  I  have  had  many  opportunities,  during 
a  very  long  residence,  of  admiring  a  matchless  sense 
of  virility,  and  the  steadfast  pursuit  of  all  that  makes 
life  honourable,  and  social  intercourse  genial  and 
healthy. 

I  am  satisfied  that  to  bring  about  a  closer  feeling  of 
mutual  respect  between  these  two  great  nations,  now 
that  their  destinies  happily  rest  with  themselves,  and 
are  no  longer  in  the  hands  of  arbitrary  rulers,  there  is 
no  agency  so  potent  or  so  direct  as  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  each  other's  language,  and  of  that  national 
idiosyncrasy  which  is  chiefly  manifested  in  the  popular 
dialect.  I  therefore  consider  the  supply  of  any  contri- 
bution to  such  knowledge  as  worthy  of  one's  best 
efforts.  And  here  I  would  remark  that  I  have  fre- 
quently noticed  on  either  side  of  the  Channel  that  an 
acquaintance,  however  imperfect,  with  the  language  of 
the  people  "  over  the  way  "  was  uniformly  accompanied 
by  a  tendency  to  judge  fairly  and  kindly  of  that 
people. 

Many    of   the    barriers    that    formerly    divided    the 


PREFACE  IX 

nations  of  this  world  have  long  ago  been  partly,  when 
not  altogether,  removed,  so  as  to  facilitate  an  inter- 
course profitable  to  all.  But  the  ignorance  of  one 
another's  language  still  remains  a  most  serious  obstacle 
to  a  full  and  free  intercourse.  It  therefore  behoves  all 
friends  of  peace  and  progress  to  do  their  best  to 
diminish  such  ignorance — every  man  according  to  his 
means.  It  is  time,  indeed,  considering  the  material 
improvements  accomplished  on  all  sides,  that  the  per- 
nicious effects  of  the  Tower  of  Babel  were  less  keenly 
felt.  This  little  work  of  mine  is,  so  to  speak,  a  stone 
which  I  venture  to  throw  with  my  feeble  hands  at  that 
historical  monument  of  too  long  standing. 

That  the  idiomatic  knowledge  of  a  living  language  is 
of  paramount  importance  no  one  will  deny.  Indeed, 
it  is  so  self-evident  that  there  is  no  need  for  me  to 
dwell  at  length  on  the  subject.  But  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted, at  the  same  time,  that  this  idiomatic  phraseo- 
logy is  fraught  with  difficulties,  and  that  its  perfect 
mastery  can  only  be  the  reward  of  a  long  and  laborious 
study.  As  long  as  the  same  thoughts  are  clothed  in 
the  same  forms  in  both  English  and  French,  it  is  an 
easy  matter  to  pass  from  the  one  to  the  other,  by 
simply  exchanging  the  corresponding  terms  supplied 
by  the  dictionary  ;  but  the  difficulty  begins  the  moment 
the  plain,  straight  highroad  common  to  both  is  left, 
and  the  two  part  company  to  deviate  into  different  bye- 
paths  of  their  own,  along  which  they  are  driven  by 
their  national  genius  farther  and  farther  away  from 
each  other.  Then  it  is  that  the  difficulties  begin,  and 
that  the  perplexed  learner  requires  guidance.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  two  languages  tend  more  and  more 
to  assume  special  forms  of  their  own — in  other  words, 
to  be  idiomatic.  Certain  it  is  that  in  the  last  century — 
to  go  no  farther  back — they  ran  in  much  more  parallel 
lines,  and  resembled  one  another  in  their  general  con- 
struction much  more  than  has  been  the  case  throughout 


X  PREFACE 

this  nineteenth  century;  and  I  well  recollect  that  on 
my  first  visit  to  England,  a  great  many  years  ago,  I 
was  struck  by  the  marked  contrast  between  elderly 
people  and  the  younger  generation  in  the  character  of 
their  respective  forms  of  speech,  by  which  I  mean  the 
turn  of  their  phrases  and  the  words  they  used.  To 
my  foreign  eyes  and  ears  the  older  school  wrote  and 
spoke  a  plain,  straight  language,  thoroughly  "  classical," 
and  therefore  easily  intelligible  to  an  educated  outsider 
— a  language  which  reminded  me  of  Hume,  of  Gibbon, 
of  Johnson,  and  that  generation;  whilst,  on  the  con- 
trary, the  younger  writers  and  speakers  affected  the 
Saxon  tongue,  and  aimed  at  a  form  of  style  more 
graphic,  at  all  events  more  sui  generis — shall  I  say 
more  insular  ?  A  similar  movement,  with  at  least 
equal  intensity,  has  taken  place  in  France,  and  it 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  English  readers 
would  naturally  be  more  at  home  with  such  authors 
as  Fenelon,  Bernardin  de  St.  Pierre,  Montesquieu, 
Buffon,  and  Chateaubriand  than  with  Michelet,  Hugo, 
About,  and  the  contributors  to  the  Revue  des  Deux 
Mondes. 

Now  I  cannot  help  feeling  that  both  languages  have 
been  the  gainers  by  this  change,  being  thereby  more 
lifelike  and  more  true  to  their  time.  But  this  very 
progress  has  created  new  difficulties  in  the  comparative 
study  of  the  two  languages,  especially  owing  to  the 
multiplicity  of  technical  expressions  that  have  sprung 
from  the  various  new  channels  of  human  activity  which 
continue  to  distinguish  our  age. 

Such  considerations  point  forcibly  to  the  need  of 
special  study  and  of  special  guidance.  It  is  a  guidance 
of  this  kind  that  I  venture  to  offer  in  the  present  work. 
If  it  should  contribute,  in  ever  so  slight  a  degree,  to 
check  the  ignorance  I  have  made  bold  to  allude  to, 
I  shall  be  deeply  thankful.  But  the  "  modern  "  teachers 
on  either  side  must  put  vigorously  their  shoulders  to 


PREFACE  XI 

the  wheel.  Let  them  bear  kindly  with  an  experienced 
veteran  of  their  own  honourable  army  who  ventures  to 
remind  them  that  the  modern  language  they  undertake 
to  teach  is  not  like  a  placid,  lifeless  lake,  confined  for 
ever  within  its  narrow  banks,  but  an  overflowing  river, 
full  of  life,  of  motion,  and  of  change.  They  should  feel 
at  home  in  both  countries  in  point  of  spirit — they 
should  feel  at  home  in  both  languages  in  point  of 
idiomatic  knowledge.  No  man  can  teach  at  all  what 
he  does  not  know  thoroughly,  and  no  man  can  teach 
well  what  he  does  not  love  sincerely — a  twofold  truism 
which  I  am  sure  the  great  Dr.  Arnold  of  Rugby  would 
have  cordially  endorsed. 

This  leads  me  to  mention  a  small  episode  of  my 
personal  experience  bearing  on  that  very  point. 
Several  years  ago,  a  valuable  French  mastership  be- 
came vacant  in  a  London  Public  School.  No  less  than 
253  candidates  of  different  nationalities  presented 
themselves,  and  no  wonder :  the  post  was  relatively 
excellent,  the  salary  high,  the  work  easy  and  pleasant 
under  the  model  of  headmasters.  The  letters  of  appli- 
cation and  the  testimonials  in  support  formed  a  huge 
pile.  The  governors  appealed  to  me  for  help.  I  was 
bold  enough  to  consent  at  all  risks  to  examine  the 
titles  and  credentials  of  these  253  applicants,  with  a 
view  to  recommending  for  the  governors'  final  choice 
the  three  whom  I  should  consider  the  most  eligible.  I 
may  observe  here,  en  passant,  that  nowhere  out  of 
liberal,  high-minded  England  could  a  foreigner  receive 
so  flattering  a  mark  of  confidence,  in  striking  contrast 
with  the  modus  operandi  of  the  fussy,  self-sufficient, 
autocratic  Continental  officials;  whilst,  in  justice  to 
the  250  rejected  candidates,  it  is  only  fair  to  state  that 
not  one  of  them  entered  a  protest  against  my  verdict, 
and,  in  fact,  I  am  yet  alive  to  tell  the  tale.  But  I  come 
to  the  main  point.  Among  many  curious  samples  of 
Franco-English  composition  that  this  laborious  inspec- 


Xll  PREFACE 

tion  brought  to  light,  I  was  struck  by  the  English 
wording  of  a  testimonial  written  on  behalf  of  a  certain 
candidate.  It  was  signed  by  a  French  gentleman  who 
has  lived  all  his  life  in  England,  and  has  even  obtained 
high  distinction  from  the  French  Government,  presum- 
ably for  his  services  in  the  propagation  of  the  French 
language  among  English  people !  "  I  know  Mr. 
,"  the  testimonial  stated,  "  since  he  lives  in  Eng- 
land "  (sic),  which,  of  course,  was  intended  to  translate : 

"  Je  connais  M. depuis  qu'il  habite  1'Angleterre/ 

i.e.,  "  I  have  known  Mr.  since  he  came  to  live  in 

England ; "  but  the  worthy  linguist  nai'vely  declared, 

"  I    know    Mr.    ,    because   he  lives    in    England." 

Here  we  have  a  distinguished  teacher  who  was  sadly 
at  fault  in  a  simple  matter  of  idiom.  One  might  well  tell 
him,  "  Doctor,  first  cure  thyself."  I  venture  to  give  it, 
as  an  incontrovertible  axiom,  that  no  Frenchman  can 
teach  French  properly  to  English  people,  nor  can  an 
Englishman  teach  English  successfully  to  French 
people,  unless  each  of  them  knows  both  languages 
idiomatically;  for  the  teaching  of  either  language  must 
be  a  matter  of  constant  comparison.  While  on  this 
subject,  I  might  also  allude  to  that  worthy  English 
lady  who  one  day  accosted  me  at  the  Botanical  Gardens 
with  this  exclamation  :  "  Oh,  M.  M.,  nion  mari  vous 
regarde  partout."  A  very  comical  confusion  between 
to  look  for  and  to  look  at.  But  I  think  I  have  suffi- 
ciently proved  my  point,  and  have  so  far  shown  the 
necessity  of  special  attention  to  the  niceties  of  idiomatic 
construction. 

The  present  little  work,  however,  whose  raison 
d'etre  I  believe  I  have  so  far  justified  in  the  matter  of 
idioms,  deals  also  with  proverbs. 

Now,  I  am  sure  the  introduction  of  proverbs  into  its 
pages  requires  no  apology  at  my  hands ;  they  are  uni- 
versally popular  from  our  Western  countries  to  the  far 
East,  and  have  ever  been  so  from  the  days  of  Solomon 


PREFACE  Xlll 

and  Aristotle  downwards.  It  may  be  said  that  they 
stand  by  themselves,  and  so  far  differ  from  idioms, 
as  not  only  are  they  older,  but  they  have  a  more 
international  and  more  cosmopolitan  character,  although 
doubtless  their  special  wording  may  occasionally  bear 
the  stamp  of  the  idiosyncrasy  of  a  special  people. 
Many  of  the  greatest  writers  have  used  them  freely ; 
they  are  the  embodiment  of  popular  philosophy,  and, 
on  this  account,  the  special  favourites  of  moralists. 
Philosophy,  it  is  true,  may  be  said  to  have,  like  medi- 
cine, more  drugs  than  remedies  ;  and  I  readily  concede 
that,  for  instance,  Job-like  resignation,  under  the 
strokes  of  adversity,  is  a  matter  of  innate  temperament 
rather  than  the  result  of  training.  But  still  the  fact 
remains  that  the  timely  apposite  quotation  of  a  time- 
honoured  maxim  or  popular  saying  is  calculated  to 
point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale.  Anyhow  the  graphic 
preciseness  of  a  proverb  imparts  at  once  force  and 
colouring  to  the  spoken  or  written  language ;  whilst  in 
many  cases,  as  it  has  been  judiciously  remarked,  its 
peculiar  form  or  turn  affords  an  interesting  insight 
into  the  characteristic  features  of  the  nation  that  has 
originated  such  a  proverb,  or  dressed  it  up  in  a  fashion 
of  its  own ;  and,  from  this  point  of  view,  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  our  neighbours'  favourite  sayings  paves 
the  way  to  a  more  perfect  acquaintance  with  their 
manners  and  tone  of  mind. 

Nor  can  it  be  honestly  contended,  as  some  have 
presumed  to  do,  that  proverbs  are  an  ungenteel  form 
of  speech ;  for  without  venturing  to  bring  in  the  most 
sacred  authors,  it  is  enough  to  say  that  proverbs  have 
found  favour  with  such  master-minds  as  Shakespeare, 
Cervantes,  Rabelais,  Montaigne,  Moliere,  and  La 
Fontaine.  The  most  genial  writers  have  certainly 
proved  the  most  inclined  to  use  them.  It  is  true 
Malherbe  denounces  the  use  of  proverbs  as  rather  too 
familiar.  But  Malherbe,  we  know,  was  a  stickler  for 


XIV  PREFACE 

nobility  of  language,  and  we  naturally  find  in  the  same 
school  Ronsard  and  his  friends  of  the  Pleiade,  who 
would,  of  course,  shun  any  form  of  popular  expression. 
They  can  boast,  however,  of  a  multitude  of  champions 
arrayed  on  the  opposite  side.  From  an  early  period 
our  trouveres  and  troubadours  were  very  partial  to 
proverbs,  as  were  our  most  serious-minded  writers  of 
the  Middle  Ages,  moralists  or  chroniclers.  We  even 
find  the  dignified  Chancellor  Gerson,  in  the  time  of 
Charles  VI.,  making  occasional  use  of  them.  As  much 
may  be  said  of  the  graceful  and  amiable  Duke  Charles 
of  Orleans.  Villon,  under  Louis  XL,  introduced  them 
freely  in  his  light  verses,  and  they  fully  maintained 
their  popularity  in  the  next  century — the  sixteenth — 
under  the  court  poet,  Clement  Marot,  and  his  imitators, 
until  the  movement  got  checked  by  Ronsard,  the 
Pleiade,  and  Malherbe,  who,  as  I  just  remarked, 
showed  themselves  too  anxious,  on  the  morrow  of  the 
Renaissance,  for  the  classical  dignity  of  the  French 
language  to  admit  of  so  popular  an  element  as  pro- 
verbs. Rabelais,  however,  in  the  first  half  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  had  frequently  quoted  popular  say- 
ings, and  Shakespeare  in  his  turn  gave  many  of  them 
the  sanction  of  his  genius,  whilst  Cervantes  (who,  by 
a  strange  coincidence,  died  the  same  day  as  his  English 
rival  in  glory,  the  23rd  April  1616)  also  regarded 
proverbs  with  special  affection.  Again,  Montaigne, 
another  master-mind  and  most  original  thinker  of  the 
same  period,  may  be  mentioned  as  among  their  warm 
partisans.  Nor  have  Corneille  and  Racine  scrupled  to 
introduce  them  in  their  famous  comedies  of  Le  Men- 
teur  and  Les  Plaideurs.  As  to  La  Fontaine,  MolieYe, 
and  Boileau,  I  have  quoted  them  freely  in  the  course 
of  this  work,  and,  coming  near  our  time,  I  have  also 
largely  borrowed  from  Destouches,  about  whom  I 
remember  reading  not  long  ago  a  statement  from  M. 
Francisque  Sarcey,  that  from  his  Glorieux  alone  one 


PREFACE  XV 

could  count  more  than  fifty  lines  that  have  become 
everyday  proverbs.  Surely  the  favourable  verdict  and 
practical  approval  of  such  an  array  of  wise  men  and 
profound  thinkers  of  all  ages  and  nations  may  well 
outbalance  the  ostracism  of  a  few  pedantic  reformers, 
and  the  hostility  of  a  flippant  eighteenth  -  century 
Chesterfield. 

And  now  I  must  leave  these  little  volumes  to  plead 
their  own  cause,  and  make  their  way  into  the  world. 
Should  they  prove  themselves  useful,  and  tempt  the 
public  on  both  sides  of  the  Channel  to  turn  their  leaves 
frequently  over,  my  object  in  launching  them  will  be 
fulfilled. 

Happily  for  them,  they  have  the  rare  good  fortune 
of  coming  out  under  the  most  kind  and  gracious 
patronage  of  two  noble  representatives  of  an  illustrious 
House,  who  do  honour  to  the  mighty  Empire  over 
whose  destinies  they  will  in  due  time,  under  the  ordeals 
of  a  Divine  Providence,  be  called  upon  to  preside. 

ALPH.  MARIETTE. 


Villa  Mariette- Pacha, 
RUEIL-PARIS,  January  1896. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH 

IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 


A. — //  ne  salt  ni  A  ni  B  =  He  is  a  rank  ignoramus. 

C'est  un  homme  marque  a  VA  *  =  He  is  a  superior  man, 

out  of  the  common. 
Renvoyer  quelqu'un  a  FA,  B,  C=To  accuse  some  one 

of  ignorance. 

Oetait  a  soixante  ans  nous  mettre  a  FA^  B,  C : 
Voyez  pour  tout  un  corps  quel  affront  c'eut  etc  !  = 

[REGNARD,  Le  Legalaire.} 

It  was  tantamount  to  sending  us  back  to  school  at 
60  years  of  age.     You  may  judge  what  an  insult 
it  would  have  been  to  the  whole  corporation. 
JV'en  £tre  qu'a  t'A,  B,  C  (Tune  science =  To  have  only 

very  elementary  notions  of  a  science. 
Un  arbre  a  fruit  —  A  fruit-tree. 
Une  machine  a  vapeur  =  A  steam-engine. 
Un  chapeau  a  larges  bords  =  A  hat  with  broad  brims. 
Un  homme  a  etroits  prejuges  ;  a  r intelligence  cultivee  = 
A  man  with  narrow  prejudices;  with  a  cultivated 
intellect. 

Dhumanite  n'esf  pas  le  bauf  a  courte  haleine, 
Qui  trace  a  pas  egaux  son  si  lion  dans  la  plaine, 
Et  revient  ruminer  sur  un  sillon  pareil = 

[LAMARTINE,  Harmonies.] 
The  human  race  is  not  the  ox  with  short  breath, 


*  C'est  tin  homme  marque  a  /'//=An  old  proverbial  expression,  less 
commonly  used  at  the  present  time,  conveying  an  allusion  to  the  coinage 
of  French  money  which  in  the  Paris  mint  is  marked  A,  and  is  supposed 
to  be  of  better  metal  than  any  other. 

VOL    I.  A 


2  FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

who  with  ever  equal  steps  cleaves  his  furrow  in  the 
plain,  and  returns  to  ruminate  over  a  like  furrow. 
Un  mot  a  nous  deux  =  Now,  to  business.     Let  us  settle 

that  matter  between  us. 
C'est  a  vous  aparler=\\.  is  your  turn  to  speak.     [To 

be  distinguished  from  :   C'est  a  vous  -DKparler=\t  is 

your  duty  to  speak.] 
C'est  a  vous  d'etre  prudent  =  It  behoves  you  to  act 

with  caution. 
Vous  avez  encore  une  bonne  heure  a  vous  —  You  have 

still  a  full  hour  before  you. 
A  r entendre  =  By  what  he  says. 

De  la  Grece  deja  vous  vous  rendez  rarbitre  : 

Ses  rots,  a  vous  ou'ir,  m'ont  pare  d'un  vain  titre  = 

[RACINE,  Iphigenie.] 

Over   Greece   you  sit  already  as  an  arbiter;   Her 
kings,  if  we  are  to  listen  to  you,  have  adorned 
me  with  a  shallow  title. 
A  ce  queje  vois  -  By  what  I  see. 

C'etait  a  qui  en  aurait  =  They  all  wanted  to  have  some. 
C'est  d  qui  lui  fera  le  meilleur  accueil r=They  all  vie  in 

welcoming  him. 

C'est  a  d'esesperer=  It  is  enough  to  make  one  despair. 
C'est  a  croire  que  la  betise  humaine  a  des  profondeurs 

encore  insondees  =  It  would  lead  one  to  believe  that 

human  stupidity  remains  unfathomable.  ' 

Abattement — //  etait  dans  rabattement=  He  was  much 
depressed. 

Abattre. — Cela  abattra  son  orgueil=\i  will  humble  his 

pride. 
Cela  lui  abattit  aussitot  son  caquet  =  That  silenced  him 

at  once. 
//  abat  de  la  besogne  =  He  gets  quickly  through  a  great 

deal  of  work. 
Petite  pluie  abat  grand  vent  =  Little  strokes  fell  great 

oaks. 

Abois. — £tre  aux  abois  —  To  be  at  bay,  to  be  reduced  to 
extremity. 


FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS  3 

Mais  souvent  dans  ce  style,  un  rimeur  aux  abois 
Jette  la,  de  depit,  la  flute  et  le  hautbois  = 

[BoiLEAU,  Art  Poetique.} 

But  often,  in  this  kind  of  composition,  a  rhymer  at 
his  wits'  end  throws  aside  in  disgust  the  flute  and 
the  hautboy. 
Abondance. — Berry er  parlait  generalement  d'abondance  — 

Berryer  generally  spoke  extempore. 
Abondance  de  biens  ne  nuit pas=  Store  is  no  sore. 
En  ai-je  bu  de  Fabondance  en  pension,  je  ne  vous  dis  que 
fa  /*  =  Didn't  I  drink  weak  wine-and-water  at  school, 
that's  all ! 
Abonder. — -J' abonde  parfaitement  dans  votre  sens  =  I  share 

your  opinion  unreservedly. 

Abord. — II  est  d'un  abord  difficile  =  He  is  not  easy  of  access. 
D1  abord;  tout  d' abord;  de  prime  abord =  At  first ;  from 

the  very  first. 
Aborder. — //  faut  aborder  la   question   de  front  =  The 

question  must  be  entered  into  boldly. 
Les  memes  affaires,  selon  qu* elles sont Men  ou  malabordees, 
peuvent  egalement  finir  par  une  collision  sanglante  ou 
par  un  eclat  de  rire  =  The  same  affairs,  according  as 
they  are  well  or  badly  met,  may  equally  end  by  a 
bloody  collision  or  a  burst  of  laughter. 
Aboutir. — Ou  aboutit  cette  route  1  =  Where  does  this  road 

lead  to  ? 
Ou  aboutit  tout  ce  que  vous  dites  ?  =  What  is  the  drift  of 

your  discourse  ? 
Les  pourparlers  riont  pas  abouti=T\\Q  parleys  came  to 

nothing. 
Abri. — Mettez-vous  a  l^abri-Goi  under  shelter. 

Personne  n'est  a  I'abri  des  coups  de  la  fortune  =  No  one 

is  proof  against  the  strokes  of  adversity. 
Abstraction. — Abstraction  faite  des  frais  preliminaires  = 
Putting  aside  the  preliminary  expenses. 


*  Abondance  is  a  technical  term  applied  by  French  schoolboys  to 
their  customary  beverage  of  wine  and  water,  possibly  intended  to  ex- 
press the  abundant  proportion  of  water  in  that  innocuous  mixture. 


4  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Abuser. — C'est  vraiment  abuser  de  la  bonte  des  gens  =  It  is 

really  to  take  advantage  of  people's  good  nature. 
s' Abuser. —  Vous  vous  abusez  =  You  are  mistaken. 
Accornrnodernent. — Us  en  vinrent  a  un  accommodement  = 

They  came  to  terms. 

Un  mechant  accommodement  vaut  mieux  que  le  meilleur 
proces  =  A  bad  arrangement  is  better  than  the  best 
lawsuit. 
s'Accommoder. — //  s'en  accommode  trls-bien  =  It  suits  him 

very  well. 
Ilfaut  s'accommoder  aux  circonstances  =  One  must  bend 

to  circumstances. 
Accornpagnernent. — Accompagnement  a  grand  orchestre 

=  A  full  accompaniment. 
Accompagner. — Permettez-moi  de  vous  accompagner  chez 

vous  —  Permit  me  to  see  you  home. 
Accord. — -fen  demeure  d''accord=  I  grant  it. 

D'un  commun  accord=  By  common  consent. 
D' accord,  soit=  Granted,  be  it  so. 
Sommes-nous  d1  accord  •=  Is  it  a  bargain  ? 
Votre  violon  riestpas  d' accord  =  Your  violin  is  not  in  tune. 
Mettez,  pour  me  jotter,  vos  flutes  mieux  d1  accord = 

[MOLIERE,  L1  Etourdi.] 

Concoct  your  plans  together  better  if  you  want  to 

take  me  in. 

De  tous  nos  defauts,  celui  dont  nous  demeurons  le  plus 
aisement  d' accord,  C'est  la  paresse  = 

[LA  ROCHEFOUCAULD.] 
Of  all  our  faults,  idleness  is  the  one  that  we  most 

readily  acknowledge. 
s'AcCOrder. — Us  s'accordent  comme  chat  et  chien  -  They 

lead  a  cat  and  dog  life. 
Accouchement. — Hopital  des   accouchements  =  Lying-in 

hospital. 

Accouchement  avant  terme  =  Premature  confinement. 
Accroc. — Us  ont  fait  un  accroc  aux  reglements  =  They  have 
taken  liberties — they  have  played  fast  and  loose — 
with  the  regulations. 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS  5 

Accroche-cceur. —  Un  accroche-cxur  =  A  heart-breaker. 
s'Accrocher. —  Un  homme  qui  se  noie  s'accroche  a  tout=  A 

drowning  man  catches  at  a  straw. 
Accroire. — Lui  en  fait-on  accroire  1  =  Don't  they  impose  on 

his  credulity? 
Ce  petit  monsieur  s'en  fait  j aliment  accroire  =  That  little 

gentleman  is  dreadfully  conceited. 
Accueil. — On  lui  fait  toujours  bon  accueil=  He  is  always 

kindly  received. 
Acculer. — Us  Font  accule  a  une  demission  forc'ee  =  They 

drove  him  into  an  unwilling  resignation. 
Accusation. — //  a  etc  mis  en  accusation  devant  un  tribunal 

special=  He  was  arraigned  before  a  special  court. 
La  cour  a  prononce  la  mise  en  accusation  —  The  court 

found  a  true  bill. 

Accuse. —  Un  accuse  de  recep tion  =  An  acknowledgment. 
Traits  bien  accuses,  contours  bien  accuses  =  Well  marked 

out  features,  outlines  in  striking  relief. 
Albert  Sorel  est  un  historien  qui  excelle  a  representer  les 
grandes   scenes   d'un   trait  vigoureux   et  d'un  relief 
accuse  = 

[H.  MICHEL.] 

Albert  Sorel  excels  as  an  historian  to  bring  out 
great  scenes  with  a  vigorous  portraiture'  and  a 
bold  relief. 

Accuser. — -J'ai  fhonneur  de  vous  accuser  reception  de  votre 

lettre  et  de  la  pihe  qui  r  accompagnait  ~  I  have  the 

honour  to  acknowledge  your  letter  and  its  enclosure. 

s'Acharner. — •//  s'acharne  a  la  musique  =~K.Q,  is  mad  for 

music. 

Are  vous  acharnez  pas  tant  -  Do  not  be  so  fierce. 
Acheter. — Si  tu  achetes  ce  dont  tu  n'as  pas  besoin,  tu  ne 
tarderas  pas  a  vendre  ce  qui  fest  necessaire  =  If  you 
buy  what  you  don't  want,  you  may  not  be  long  to 
sell  what  you  cannot  do  without. 
Je  Vai  achete  a  vil  prix  —  I  bought  it  for  a  mere  song. 
Je  ne  veux  point  acheter  chat  en  poche  =  I  will  not  buy  a 
pig  in  a  poke. 


0  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Vous  etes-vous  mis  dans  la  tete  que  Leonard  de  Pour- 
ceaugnac  soit  un  homme  a  acheter  chat  en  poche  1  = 

[MOLlfcRE.] 

Did  you  take  it  into  your  head  that  L.  de  Pour- 

ceaugnac  was  a  man  to  buy  a  pig  in  a  poke  ? 
Achev£. — C'est  un  comedien  acheve  =  'He  is  a  consummate 

actor. 

C'est  une  beaute  achevee  —  She  is  a  perfect  beauty. 
Achoppement. — Pierre  d*  achoppement  =  Stumbling-block. 
A-COUp. — Ce  n'esf  ni  par  la  "violence,  ni  par  de  brusques 
a-coups  quon  a  chance  d'ameliorer  le  monde,  si  mal 
fait  qdil  puisse  paraitre  = 

[F.  MAGNARD.] 

It  is  neither  by  violence  nor  by  abrupt  jerks  that 
one  may  perchance  improve  the  world,  let  it 
appear  ever  so  ill-conditioned. 
Acquis. —  Un  point  acquis  a  la  discussion  =  A  point  so  far 

settled,  out  of  dispute. 
Cefait  est  acquis  a  I  histoire  =  That  fact  is  acknowledged 

by  all  historians. 
Bien  mal  acquis  ne  profite  jamais  =  Ill-gotten   goods 

never  thrive. 
Acquit. — Par  maniere  d' 'acquit =  For  form's  sake. 

Pour  f  acquit  de  ma  conscience  =  For  the  satisfaction  of 

my  conscience. 
Pour  acquit  =  Paid. 
Acte. — -Je  prends  acte  de  votre  promesse  =  I  take  note  of  your 

promise. 

Nos    innombrables  fonctionnaires    se    contentent    trop 
souvent  de  faire  acte  de  presence  a  leurs  bureaux  = 
Our  innumerable  officials  are  too  often  satisfied  with 
merely  putting  in  an  appearance  at  their  offices. 
Expedition  d'un  acte  =  Copy  of  a  deed. 
Acte  de  bapteme,  de  mariage  =  An  official  certificate  of 

baptism,  of  marriage. 

Actif. — //  a  d'excellents  etats  de  service  a  son  actif=  He 
holds  to  his  credit  the  record  of  an  honourable 
career.  He  holds  excellent  certificates. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS  7 

Actuel. — Le  gouvernement  actuel  =  The  present  [not  actual] 

government. 
Actuellement.  —  //  est  actmllement  en  voyage  =  He    is 

travelling  just  now  [not  actually]. 
Addition. — Garfon,  I' addition  /  =  Waiter,  the  bill. 
Adieu.* — Sans  adieu,  jusqrfau  revoir  —  I  shall  soon  see  you 

again. 
Ilfaut  que faille  leur faire  mes  adieux  =  \  must  go  and 

take  my  leave  of  them. 
Adieu  mes  nourrissons,  si  vous  les  rencontrez  =  If  you 

come  across  my  babes,  it  is  all  over  with  them. 
Adieu  paniers,  vendanges  sont  faites  =  \\.  is  all  over,  all 

is  gone  to  wreck. 

Admirer. — Je  vous  admire  - 1  like  your  coolness. 
Adresse. — Le  paquet  est  d  votre  adresse  =  The  parcel  is 

addressed  to  you. 
Ce  trait  etait  a  votre  adresse  =  The  shaft — or,  hint — was 

intended  for  you. 
Tour  d' adresse  =  Legerdemain. 
s'Adresser. —  Vous  vous  adressez  mal=  You  mistake  your 

man. 

Advenir. — Advienne  que  pourra  —  Happen  what  may. 
Affaire. — 11  est  Men  dans  ses  affaires  =  He  is  in  good  cir- 
cumstances. 

II  fait  de  trh  bonnes  affaires  —  He  is  doing  very  well. 
Les  affaires  ne  vont pas,  ne  marchent pas  =  Trade  is  dull. 
//  est  dans  les  affaires  =  He  is  in  business. 
II  fait  des  affaires  d?or=  He  is  making  a  fortune. 
Au  point  ou  en  sont  les  affaires  -  As  matters  stand. 
Ce  n 'est pas  une  affaire  —  It  is  a  very  simple  matter. 


*  Adieu  =  A.  cordial,  felicitous  word,  which  was  formerly  written 
A  Dieu  I  and  stands  for :  "  Je  vous  recommande  a  Dieu  ! "  It 
generally,  however,  breathes  a  spirit  of  sadness. 

"  Adieu  !  mot  qu'une  larme  humecte  sur  la  levre  ; 

Mot  qui  finit  la  joie  et  qui  tranche  1'amour  ; 
Mot  par  qui  le  depart  de  delices  nous  sevre  ; 
Mot  que  1'eternite  doit  effacer  un  jour !  " 

LAMARTINE. 


8  FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND   PROVERBS 

C'est  mon  affaire.    J'en  fats  won  affaire  =  Leave  that 

to  me. 

A  demain  les  affaires  s'erieuses  *  —  Let  us  enjoy  our- 
selves to-day ;  business  to-morrow. 
J'ai  votre  affaire  -  I  have  the  very  thing  for  you. 
Cela  ne  fait  pas  mon  affaire =  That  does  not  suit  me; 

that's  not  what  I  want. 
//  est  homme  a  se  tirer  d*  affaire  =  He  is  one  to  get  on, 

to  succeed. 
Le  medecin  esp^re  qu'il  se  tirera  d1  affaire  =  The  doctor 

hopes  he  will  pull  through. 

Voila  une  affaire  faite,  badee  =  rT\&.\.  is  something  done. 
Vous  avez  fait  la  une  belle  affaire  I  -  You  have  got  into 

a  sad  scrape. 
Melez-vous    de    vos    affaires  =  Attend    to    your    own 

business. 

//  a  son  affaire  -  He  is  in  for  it. 
Son  affaire  est  claire  =  It  is  all  over  with  him.     He  is 

done  for. 
//  fa  menace  de  lui  faire  son  affaire  =  He  threatened 

"to  do  "for  him. 

Cela  fera-t-il  votre  affaire  ?  =  Will  this  do  for  you  ? 
Vous  vous  attirerez  une  mauvatse  affaire  =  You  will  get 

into  trouble. 

La  belle  affaire  !  =  What  of  that  ?     Is  that  all  ? 
Qui  est-ce  qui  a  encore  touche  a  mes  affaires  ?  =  Who  has 

again  been  meddling  with  my  things  ? 
Les  chefs  veulent  surtout  que  leurs  subordonnes  evitent 

les  affaires  —  The  chiefs  are  above  all  anxious  that 

their  subordinates  should  keep  clear  of  scrapes. 

*  A  demain  les  affaires  serieuses  =  This  is  an  historical  saying  that 
has  become  proverbial.  We  read  in  Plutarch  that  Pelopidas  and  some 
of  his  friends  having  laid  a  plot  (379  B.C. )  to  rid  their  native  Thebes  of 
the  tyranny  of  Archias  and  Leontiades,  unexpectedly  rushed  into  that 
city  while  the  hated  "polemarchs"  were  indulging  in  a  feast,  and 
easily  murdered  them.  Archias  had  been  warned  of  the  impending 
danger  by  an  Athenian  friend  who  sent  him  a  special  message  in  due 
time.  But  being  already  heavy  with  wine,  he  would  not  even  unfold 
the  letter,  and  throwing  it  under  his  pillow  :  Let  us  put  off  business  till 
to-morrow,  he  exclaimed.  His  fate  was  soon  sealed,  and  Plutarch  tells 
us  the  phrase  became  frequently  quoted  among  the  Greeks. 


FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS  9 

Ce  scandale  sera  V affaire  de  huit  jours  =  This  scandal 

will  just  last  a  week. 

//  aura  affaire  a  plus  fort  que  lui=  He  will  find  his 
master,  more  than  his  match. 

Mais  le  moindre  grain  de  mil 
Serait  bien  mieux  mon  affaire  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

But  the  least  grain  of  millet  would  answer  my  pur- 
pose much  better. 
Voulez-vous  qu1  avec  lui  je  me  fasse  une  affaire  ?  = 

[MOLIERE.] 

Would  you  have  me  quarrel  with  him  ? 
Cest  convenu,  regie.     Done,  point  d1  affaire  = 

[COPPEE.] 

It  is  agreed,  settled.     And  so,  no  more  about  it. 

Afficher. — Afficher  du   mepris  pour  .  .  .  =  To   make   an 

ostentatious  show  of  contempt  for  ... 
//  a  tort  d'afficher  ainsi  ses  opinions  [or,  de  s'afficher 
atnsi]=He  is  wrong  to  make  such  a  show  of  his 
opinions. 

Defense  d'afficher  -  Stick  no  bills. 
Affront.* — Avaler,  boire,  essuyer  un  affront '=To   pocket 

an  affront. 
//  fait  affront  a  sa  famille  =  He  is  a  disgrace  to  his 

family. 

Sa  memoire  lui  a  fait  un  affront  =  His   memory  be- 
trayed him. 

Affut. — Que  de  gens  sans  cesse  a  I'affiit  de  la  nouveaute  !  = 
How  many  people  are  incessantly  on  the  look-out 
for  anything  new  ! 


*  Essuyer  un  affront. — Apropos  of  the  oddities  of  the  French  lan- 
guage, I  have  met  with  this  question :  "  Pourquoi  essuie-t-on  un  affront, 
et  lave-t-on  une  injure  ?  "  I  may  add :  Why  do  we  say  indifferently,  and 
in  a  like  spirit  of  praise,  of  a  departed  man,  that  he  leaves  behind  him, 
or  that  he  carries  away  universal  regrets?  "II  laisse  des  regrets 
universels,"  or  "II  emporte  des  regrets  universels."  Surely,  what  is 
"  left  behind  "  cannot  be  said  at  the  same  time  to  be  "  carried  away." 

To  the  same  class  of  anomalies  belongs  the  apparent  inconsistency  of 
"  Chercher  a prendre  le  gibier  que  1'on  chasse." 


10          FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND   PROVERBS 

Age. — Bas  dge  =  Infancy. 

Un  homme  entre  deux  ages  —  A  middle-aged  man. 

Lafleur  de  I* age  =  The  prime  of  life. 

Tirer  sur  I' age  =  To  be  elderly. 

//  est  d'dge  a  [or,  il  est  en  age  de~\  savoir  se  conduire  = 

He  is  of  an  age  to  know  how  to  behave. 
Le  Moyen-Age  =  The  Middle  Ages. 
Agir. — Us  en  ont  trh  mal  agi  avec  moi '—  They  used  me 

very  ill. 
s'Agir. — De  quoi s'agit-il ?  =  What  is  the  matter? 

Ce  nt  est  pas  de  cela  qu'ils)agit=  That  is  not  the  question. 
//  s'agit  d'une  forte  somme  =  A  large  sum  of  money  is 

at  stake. 
//  s'agit  de  ne  pas  avoir  peur=rT\\Q  thing  is  not  to  be 

frightened. 

Agonie. — Elle  est  a  Vagonie  =  She  is  on  the  point  of  death. 
Agre"able. — Et  je  vous  supplierai  d*  avoir  pour  agreable 
Que  je  me  fasse  un  peu  grace  sur  votre  arret, 
Et  ne  me  pende  pas  pour  cela,  s'il  vous  plait  = 
[MOLIERE,  Le  Misanthrope.'} 

And  I  shall  beg  of  you  not  to  take  it  amiss  that  I 
should  deal  leniently  with  myself  regarding  your 
sentence,  and  [should  not  hang  myself  for  that,  if 
you  please. 

Agr^ments. — Les  arts  d'agrements  se  patent  a  part  = 
Accomplishments  are  charged  for  separately. 

AguetS. — Nous  etions  aux  aguets  =  We  were  on  the  look-out. 

Aider. — Aide-tot,  le  del  t'aidera  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Aydez-vous  settlement,  et  Dieu  vous  aydera  = 

[REGNIER.] 

Just  help  yourself,  and  God  will  help  you. 

Aigre. — La  discussion  menafait  de  tourner  a  Vaigre  =  The 
discussion  threatened  to  become  bitter. 

Aiguille. — De  fil  en  aiguille =  From  one  talk  to  another. 
Disputer  sur  la  pointe  d'une  aiguille  =  To  quarrel  about 
a  pin,  about  a  straw. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          II 

Aile. — Us  ne  battent  plus  que  d^une  aile  =  They  are  almost 

done  for,  ruined. 

//  en  a  dans  I' aile  =  He  is  caught 
//  en  tirera  pied  ou  aile  =  He  will  get  a  snack  out  of  it. 
//  peut  maintenant  voler  de  ses  propres  ailes  —  He  can 

now  shift  for  himself. 

Aimer. — Qui  aime  bien  chcttie  bien  =  Spare  the  rod  and 

spoil  the  child. 

Celui  qui  bien  faict  a  quelqvtun  Vaime  mieux  qu'il  rien 
est  aime  = 

[MONTAIGNE.] 

He  who  does  good  to  some  one  feels  more  love 

for  him  than  he  gets  back. 

Quand  on  ria  pas  ce  que  I' on  aime,  il  faut  aimer  ce  que 
I'on  a  -  When  we  have  not  what  we  like,  we  must 
like  what  we  have. 
Aimez  qu'on  vous  conseille,  et  non  pas  qu'on  vous  loue  = 

[BOILEAU.] 

Prefer  advice  to  praise. 

Air. — Elle  a  /'air  aimable  =  She  looks  amiable. 

//  ne  fait  pas  d'air  aujourd'hui  =  It  is  very  close  to-day. 

Un  discours  en  Fair  —  Idle  talk. 

Vous  etes  dans  un  courant  d'air  =  You  are  in  a  draught. 

//  a  cinquante  ans,  mat's  il  n'en  a  pas  Fair=  He  is  fifty, 
but  he  does  not  look  it. 

On  a  I' age  qu'on  a  Fair  d} 'avoir  =  One  is  just  the  age 
one  looks. 

Cela  en  a  tout  Pair=\\.  looks  uncommonly  like  it. 

Us  ont  tous  un  air  de  famille  =  There  is  a  family  like- 
ness in  them  all. 

//  a  un  faux  air  de  son  cousin  =  He  has  a  slight  re- 
semblance to  his  cousin. 

La  maison  etait  tout  en  l'air=  The  house  was  in  con- 
fusion. 

D'un  air  entendu  =  With  a  knowing  look. 

Aise. —  Vous  en  parlez  bien  a  votre  aise  =  It  is  easy  for 

you  to  speak  so ;  it  is  all  very  well  for  you  to  say  so. 

Nos  administrations publiques  en  prennent  vraiment  trop 

a  leur  aise  avec  les  contribuables  qui  les  patent :=  Our 


12          FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Civil  Service  people  are  really  too  much  off-hand  with 
the  tax-payers  who  support  them. 
Us  ne  sont  pas  riches,  mats  Us  sont  a  leur  aise  =  They 

are  not  rich,  but  they  are  in  easy  circumstances. 
Vous  fumerez  a  rotre  aise,  quand  vous  serez  dans  la  rue 
—  You  will  smoke  as  much  as  you  please  when  you 
are  in  the  street. 

Allemand. —  Une  querelle  d*  Allemand*  =  A  quarrel  without 
rhyme  or  reason. 

*  Une  querelle  d' Allemand.  The  students  of  German  universities  are 
notoriously  quarrelsome,  and  there  is  a  more  or  less  well-grounded 
impression  that  the  German  people  are  apt  to  be  noisy,  and  perhaps 
bellicose  in  their  cups.  But  for  aught  I  have  seen  in  Germany,  they 
are  not  worse  than  other  nations,  and  the  only  fault  I  for  one  would 
presume  to  find  with  them  on  the  score  of  temper  is  that  they  are 
rather  apt  to  misunderstand  a  joke,  and  to  take  offence  at  imaginary 
wrongs.  For  the  rest,  they  certainly  are  a  very  great  and  honourable 
community,  and  they  have  nobly  played  their  part  in  the  cause  of  civilisa- 
tion. I  am  fully  satisfied  that  the  expression  Une  querelle  d'-Allemand 
is  an  unmerited  aspersion,  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  I  side  with  those 
who  see  a  mere  corruption  of  language  in  this  popular  phrase,  the 
origin  of  which  is  plausibly  accounted  for  as  follows:  —  During  the 
1 3th  and  I4th  centuries,  there  lived  in  the  Dauphiny,  about  the 
mountainous  tract  that  extends  between  the  rivers  Drac  and  Isere,  a 
very  powerful  and  extensive  family  of  the  name  of  Alleman.  These 
mighty  and  closely-united  feudal  lords  formed  among  themselves  a  very 
strong  confederacy,  and  woe  to  any  one  who  was  rash  enough  to  pro- 
voke and  molest  any  member  of  the  clan.  At  the  call  of  the  offended 
party,  the  whole  force  of  the  Alleman  family,  with  their  numerous 
retainers,  would  be  brought  to  bear  against  the  assailant,  and  from  the 
ardour  with  which  they  resented  and  avenged  any  family  wrong,  no 
matter  how  trifling  the  subject,  there  arose  the  expression  Une  querelle 
d* Alleman — an  expression  as  foreign  in  its  spelling  as,  I  trust,  in  its 
raison  d'etre,  to  our  neighbours  across  the  Rhine. 

Apropos  of  this,  I  would  add  that  international  amenities  of  the  kind 
are  but  too  common.  Thus,  our  English  friends  are  not  above  using 
the  phrase,  "To  take  French  leave,"  by  way  of  ascribing  to  us  the  free 
and  easy  practice  of  doing  things  without  asking  the  requisite  permis- 
sion— a  practice  which  I  must  say  I  have  never  noticed  as  a  feature  of 
the  French  national  character.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  way  of 
retaliation,  "  Partir  a  1'anglaise,"  i.e.,  to  sneak  out  of  the  way,  is  an 
expression  rather  frequently  met  with  in  France.  Many  other  samples 
of  such  international  charity  and  sense  of  justice  might  easily  be  adduced. 
Indeed,  even  between  the  fellow-subjects  of  the  same  commonwealth, 
as,  for  instance,  between  the  English  on  one  side  and  the  Scotch  or 
Irish  on  the  other,  there  is  no  lack  of  unamiable  innuendoes  which  have 


FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          13 

Aller. — Comment  allez-vous  ?  =  How  are  you  ? 

Je  ne  vais  pas  du  tout  =  I  am  not  at  all  well. 

Allons  !  allons  /  du  courage  !  =  Come,  come,  be  brave. 

Tant  va  la  cruche  a  reau  qu'a  la  fin  elle  se  casse  —  The 
pitcher  goes  so  often  to  the  well  that  it  gets  broken 
at  last.  It  is  a  good  horse  that  never  stumbles. 

Allons  done!  vous  plaisantez  —  Nonsense !  you  are  joking. 

Allons  !  qdon  s'apprete  —  Now,  let  every  one  get  ready. 

Mais  allez  done  !  =  Do  go  on. 

Je  ne  ferai  qu'aller  et  venir  =  I  shall  be  back  presently. 

Comme  vous  y  allez  1  =  You  go  on  at  a  fine  rate. 

S't'J  allait  venir  /  =  If  he  chanced  to  come  ! 

Vous  rty  allez  pas  de  main  morte  =  You  hit  pretty  hard. 
You  don't  do  things  by  halves. 

Je  n'y  vais  pas  par  quatre  chemins  =  I  don't  mince 
matters. 

Le  mal  va  grandissant  =  The  evil  keeps  increasing. 

1} affaire  va  son  train  =  The  affair  is  progressing. 

Votrefeu  va-t-il  Men  ?  =  Does  your  fire  burn  well  ? 

II y  va  de  tout  cceur  =  He  is  very  frank  and  hearty. 

J' irai  aux  renseignements  =  I  shall  make  inquiries. 

Je  ne  vais  pas  contre  =  \  say  nothing  to  the  contrary. 

Cela  va  sans  dire;  cela  va  de  soi=\\.  is  a  matter  of 
course. 

Cela  ne  me  va  pas  =  That  does  not  suit  me. 

Si  cela  vous  va,  nous  partirons  demain  =  If  agreeable  to 
you,  we  shall  set  off  to-morrow. 

Va  pour  demain  =  Let  it  be  to-morrow. 

II y  va  de  votre  honneur  =  Your  honour  is  at  stake. 

Ces  deux  tableaux  vont  bien  ensemble  —  Those  two  pic- 
tures are  a  good  match. 

Le  jaune  va  bien  aux  Prunes,  et  le  bleu  aux  blondes  = 
Yellow  suits  the  dark  women,  and  blue  the  fair  ones. 


left  their  mark  on  the  popular  language.  But  I  think  that  with  regard 
to  that  objectionable  form  of  chauvinism  or  jingoism,  the  "record" — 
to  use  a  familiar  sporting  term  of  the  present  day — must  be  conceded 
to  the  Spaniards,  who  convey  their  contempt  for  their  peninsular 
neighbours  in  this  emphatic,  and  I  should  think  most  unfounded, 
utterance  :  ' '  Take  from  the  Spaniard  all  his  good  qualities,  and  there 
remains  a  Portuguese  !  "  After  this,  we  may,  as  we  say,  tirer  Vechelle. 


14          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Au  pis-aller=L,e.t  the  worst  come  to  the  worst.  ' 
Un  billet  d' alter  et  retour  —  A  return  ticket. 
Qui  va  doucement  va  surement  =  Slow  and  sure. 
Allonger. — //  sait  allonger  la  courroie  =  He  knows  how  to 
make  small  things  go  a  long  way.     He  knows  how 
to  make  the  most  of  his  situation. 
Allumer. — //  n'est  bois  si  vert  qui  ne  s'allume  = 

[CLEMENT  MAROT.] 

Where  there  is  a  will,   there  is  a  way.     There  is 
nothing  like  trying. 

Allure. — Ses  allures  ne  me  conviennent  pas  =  His  ways  do 

not  suit  me. 

Les  chases  prennent  une  mauvaise  allure  =  Things  do  not 
look  promising. 

Aloi. — C'est  debon  aloi=\\.  is  of  good  quality,  of  the  right 
sort. 

Alors. — Alors  meme  =  Even  though. 

Alors  meme  que  Paris  ne  serait  plus  le  centre  politique, 
diplomatique  et  administratif,  il  res ter ait  Paris,  c.-a-d. 
la  ville  geante,  dont  la  puissance  financiere,  indus- 
trielle  et  commercial  depasse  celle  de  beaucoup  de 
nations  independantes  =  Even  though  Paris  were  no 
longer  the  political,  diplomatic,  and  administrative 
centre,  it  would  remain  Paris,  that  is  to  say,  the 
giant-city,  whose  financial,  industrial,  and  com- 
mercial power  surpasses  that  of  many  independent 
nations. 

Alors  comme  alors  =  M\  in  good  time.  Wait  to  see 
what  is  to  be  done. 

Alouette. — Ne  vous  figurez  pas  que  les  alouettes  vont  vous 
tomber  toutes  rbties  dans  la  bouche  =  Don't  imagine 
that  larks  are  going  to  fall  ready  roasted  into  your 
mouth.  Don't  expect  that  a  fortune  will  drop  into 
your  mouth. 

Ambre. — II estfin  comme  rambre=~R&  is  a  shrewd  fellow. 

Ame. — -Je  n'ai pas  trouve  ame  qui  vive  =  I  did  not  find  a 

living  creature  in  the  place. 
C'est  Fame  damnee  duprefet=  He  is  the  prefect's  tool. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          I  5 

Amende. — //  a  etc  mis  a  I' amende  =  He  got  fined. 

//  a  du  faire  amende  honorable  =  He  had  to  make  an 
apology. 

Amener.  — Us  ont  amenet  aussitot  leur  pavilion  =  They 

lowered  their  flag  at  once. 

//  a  toujours  le  mauvais  gout  d'amener  la  conversation 
sur  la  politique  —  He  has  always  the  bad  taste  of 
introducing  politics  into  conversation. 

Ami. — Les  amis  sont  comme  les  parapluies :   On  ne  les  a 
jamais  sous  la  main  quand  il pleut  = 

[BANVILLE.] 

Friends  are  like  umbrellas  :  You  never  have  them 

at  hand  in  bad  weather. 

Amiable. —  Vente  a  r amiable  =  Sale  by  private  contract. 
Un  arrangement  a  V amiable  =  An  amicable  arrange- 
ment. 
Amitie. — Mes  amities  chez  vous  =  My  kind  regards  to  your 

people. 

//  Va  pris  en  amitie  =  He  took  a  fancy  to  him. 
Amortissement. — Caisse  d'amorttssement=  Sinking  fund 

office. 

Amour. — Amour!  amour!  quand  tu  nous  tiens, 
On  peut  bien  dire :  Adieu,  prudence  I  = 

[LA  FONTAINE,  Fables,  iv.  i.] 

When  love  gets  hold  of  us,  one  may  well  say  :  Fare- 
well, prudence ! 
Amuser. — //  a  le  talent  d'amuser  le  tapis  =  He  has  a 

peculiar  gift  of  talking  the  time  away. 
Je  vous  reponds  que  je  ne  me  suis  pas  amuse  en  route  = 

I  lost  no  time  on  the  way,  I  can  tell  you. 
An. — Lejour  de  Fan  =  New  Year's  day. 

Lan  de  grace  =  The  year  of  Our  Lord  .   .   .   Anno 

Domini. 

Bon  an,  mal  an  =  One  year  with  another. 
Service  du  bout  de  Van  —  Religious  service  (in  Roman 

Catholic  churches)  on  the  anniversary  of  a  death. 
Je  m!en  moque  comme  de  Van  40  =  I  don't  care  a  straw 
about  it. 


1 6          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Ancre. — -Jeter  r  ancre  ;  Lever  r  ancre  =  To  cast  anchor ;  To 

weigh  anchor. 

Chasser  sur  ses  ancres  =  To  drag  the  anchors. 
s'Ancrer. — //  s'est  ancre  dans  cette  maison  —  He  got  a  firm 

footing  in  that  house. 
Ane. — //  y  a  plus  d'un  ane  qui  sappelle  Martin  =  There 

are  more  Jacks  than  one. 
Pour  un  point  [ou,  "faute  d'un  point "]  Martin  perdit 

son  ane  *  =  A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile. 
C'est  le  pont  aux  anes  =  A  thing  easy  to  do.     A  fool 
knows  that. 


*  Faute  d"un  point  Martin  perdit  son  dne.  Hereby  hangs  a  strange 
tale  wherein  figures  a  Pope,  with  a  conundrum  besides.  It  is  a  warning 
to  people  who  may  lose  much  by  want  of  attention  to  trifles.  This 
truism  is  forced  on  our  minds  by  many  proverbial  sayings,  but  the  one 
now  before  us  is  perhaps  the  most  direct  in  its  wording,  and  the  most 
popular  to  the  purpose. 

It  takes  us  back  to  the  early  days  of  the  Church.  Abbot  Martin,  the 
prior  of  the  Abbey  of  Azello — a  place  not  far  from  Rome — who  was  a 
very  hospitable  man,  had  instructed  a  painter  to  inscribe  over  the 
entrance-gate  this  Latin  line — 

Porta,  patens  esto,  nulli  claudaris  honesto. 

I  assume  that  all  my  readers,  down  to  the  very  youngest,  know  Latin, 
but  perhaps  one  or  two  might  say,  like  Monsieur  Jourdain  in  the 
Bourgeois  Gentilhomme,  "  Oh  !  yes,  I  know  Latin,  but  just  do  as  if  I 
didn't  know  it,  and  tell  me  what  it  means."  Well,  it  means,  "  Gate, 
stand  open,  and  be  closed  against  no  honest  man."  The  painter  un- 
luckily made  a  mess  of  it,  and  transposed  the  comma  to  the  other  side 
of  nulli,  so  that  the  well-meant  hexameter  ran  thus — 

Porta,  patens  esto  nulli,  claudaris  honesto. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Abbot  Martin  was  singularly  remiss  not  to 
have  controlled  the  work  of  his  unclassical  painter.  Now,  it  happened 
that  the  Pope,  being  out  for  a  drive,  passed  that  way,  and  noticing  the 
inscription,  was  so  shocked  at  its  unchristian  spirit  that  the  moment  he 
got  back  in  his  palace  he  dismissed  the  poor  prior.  Here  again,  I 
cannot  help  feeling  that  His  Holiness  was  unduly  hasty.  But  then, 
had  Abbot  Martin  been  more  careful,  and  the  Pope  less  hasty,  we 
should  have  missed  a  very  good  story,  to  which  the  very  name  of 
Martin,  and  especially  that  of  "Azello"  —  i.e.,  a  donkey — gives  a 
peculiar  colouring  ;  for  there  is  no  donkey  in  the  case,  and  one  has 
crept  into  the  saying  through  a  double  entente  suggested  by  the  twofold 
meaning  of  Azello. 

We  are  further  told  that  Martin's  successor,  whilst  altering  the  place 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          17 

Conte  de  Peau  d'dne  =  A  child's  story. 
Nul  ne  salt  mieux  que  fane  oft  le  bat  le  blesse  =  Every 
one  knows  best  where  his  shoe  pinches. 
Lane  de  la  communaute 
Est  toujours  le  plus  mal  bate  = 
One  neglects  the  common  interest  to  attend  to  one's 

personal  welfare. 
Ce  sont  les  armoiries  de  Bourges,  un  ane  dans  une  chaise 

=  An  ignorant  man  sitting  in  an  arm-chair. 
//  ressemble  a  Vane  de  Buridan  -  He  cannot  make  up 

his  mind.     [See  BURIDAN  further  on.] 
Ange.  —  Elle   en  etait  aux  anges  =  She  was  in  raptures 

about  it. 

//  ecrit  cotnme  un  ange  *  =  He  has  a  splendid  hand- 
writing. 
Anglais. — Partir  a  Vanglaise  =  rVo  leave  abruptly.      \See 

note  on  ALLEMAND.] 
Anguille. — //  y  a  quelque  anguille  sous  roche  =  There  is  a 

snake  in  the  grass. 

Echapper  comme  une  anguille  =  To  slip  away  like  an  eel. 
Ecorcher  une  anguille  par  la  queue  =  To  begin  a  thing 

at  the  wrong  end. 
Vous  voulez  rompre  V anguille  au  genou  =  You  attempt 

an  impossibility. 
Toujours  pate  d'anguilles  =  Qr\Q  gets  tired  of  repetition, 

even  in  the  best  things. 

//  ressemble  aux  anguilles  de  Melun  :  il  crie  avant  qdon 
recorche  t  =  He  cries  before  he  is  hurt. 


of  the  obnoxious  comma,  thought  it  right  to  commemorate  the  event 
by  this  additional  line — 

Pro  puneto  solo  caruit  Martinus  Azello. 

So  much  by  way  of  showing,  as  Franklin's  "  Poor  Richard  "  says,  that 
"  a  little  neglect  may  breed  great  mischief." 

*  £crire  comme  un  ange.  A  certain  Angelo  Vergecio  of  Corfu  made 
himself  famous  in  the  i6th  century  by  the  excellence  of  his  Greek 
cursive  writing.  Hence  this  expression,  which  was  extended  by 
analogy,  in  a  flattering  sense,  to  other  performers,  to  wit :  "Jouer, 
parler,  danser,  chanter  '  comme  un  ange. ' " 

t  //  ressemble  aux  atiguilles  de  Melun.  It  is  said  that  a  young  man 
of  Melun,  called  Languille,  once,  in  the  days  of  "Mysteries"  (1402- 

VOL.    I.  IB 


1 8          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Annoncer. — -Je  me  suis  fait  annoncer=  I  sent  in  my  name. 
La   vendange   s'annonce   bien  =  The   vintage    is   very 

promising. 

Anse. — Cette  cuisiniere  fait  j aliment  danserTanse  du  panier 
=  That  cook  swells  her  perquisites  most  dishonestly, 
makes  dishonest  profits  out  of  her  purchases. 
Antan. — Les  neiges  d'antan  =  The  snow  of  last  year  [literally, 

of  the  year  before  this]. 
Je  m'en  soncie  comme  des  neiges  d'antan  =  I  care  not  in 

the  least  for  it. 
Aplomb. — II  ne  manque  pas  d 'aplomb  =  He  has  plenty  of 

assurance. 
Apothicaire. —  Un  ?nemoire  d' apothicaire  =  A  preposterous, 

extortionate  bill. 

Un  apothicaire  sans  sucre  =  A  chemist  with  an  incom- 
plete stock. 

Ap6tre. — Nefaites  done  pas  le  bon  apotre  =  Don't  you  pre- 
tend to  be  so  very  good. 
Tout  Picard  que  fetais,j'etais  un  bon  apotre, 
Et  je  faisais  claquer  mon  fouet  tout  comme  un  autre  — 

[RACINE.] 
A  Picard  as  I  was,  I  was  a  jolly  good  fellow,  and 

I  cracked  my  whip  as  well  as  any  one  else. 
Apparence. — Selon  toute  apparence=\i\  all  probability. 
Appartenir. — A  tous  ceux  qu'il  appartiendra  \legaf\  =  To 

all  those  whom  it  may  concern. 
Appel. — //  a  interjete  appel=  He  has  lodged  an  appeal. 

1548),  undertook  to  act  in  a  public  performance  the  part  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew, who,  as  is  well  known,  was  skinned  alive.  When  the 
executioner,  however,  approached  him  with  a  knife  in  his  hand,  pre- 
tending to  be  about  skinning  him,  Languille  got  frightened  and  started 
off  shrieking,  a  great  deal  too  soon.  This  caused  the  spectators  to  roar 
with  laughter,  and  the  incident  would  have  immortalised  the  youth,  who 
would  have  come  down  to  us  as  the  prototype  of  people  who  cry  before 
they  are  hurt,  were  it  not  that  his  name  was  stript  very  soon  of  its 
identity,  and  his  notoriety  got  transferred  to  the  eels  of  his  native  city 
— even  as  early  as  the  days  of  Rabelais,  as  evidenced  by  this  passage 
(Book  i.  chap,  xlvii.),  "  Bren,  bren,  dit  Picrochole,  vous  semblez  les 
anguilles  de  Melun  :  vous  criez  devant  qu'on  vous  escorche  ;  laissez  les 
seullement  venir." 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          19 

App^tit. — L'appetit  vient  en  mangeant=Qne  shoulder  of 
mutton  drives  down  another.  The  more  one  has, 
the  more  one  wants. 

//  riest  chere  que  dappetit=  Hunger  is  the  best  sauce. 
Nous  demeurames  sur  notre  appetit—^No.  stayed  upon 

our  appetite ;  we  had  not  our  fill. 
Apprendre. — £a  vous  apprendra  pour  une  autre  fois  =  It 

will  teach  you  to  know  better  in  future. 
Je  leur  apprendrai  qui  je  suis  =  I  will  let  them  know 

who  I  am. 

Ce  qu'on  apprend  au  her  [i.e.  "berceau"],  on  le  retient 
jusqu'au  ver—We  keep  unto  our  grave  the  impres- 
sions and  habits  of  our  childhood. 

Apprenti. — Apprenti    n'esf  pas    mciitre  =  One   must   not 
expect  perfection  from  a  beginner.     You  must  spoil 
before  you  spin. 
Appui. — -Une  balustrade  a  hauteur  d'appui=K  breast-high 

balustrade. 

A  Her  a  I'appui  de  la  boiile  =  To  support  an  associate's 
argument  [as  one  would  support  or  push  on  a  part- 
ner's ball  at  a  game]. 
Appuyer. — Inutile  d'appuyer  sur  cet  incident  =  There  is  no 

occasion  to  lay  a  stress  upon  that  incident. 
Apr£s. — Eh  bien  !  apres  ?  =  Well  then  !  what  next  ? 
Portrait  d*  apres  nature  =  Picture  to  the  life. 
Elle  est  toujours  a  crier  apres  eux  =  She  is  perpetually 

scolding  them. 
Apres  la  pluie,  vient  le  beau  temps  = The  darkest  cloud 

often  has  a  silver  lining. 

Apres  la  panse,  vient  la  danse  =  After  feasting,  they  want 
to  amuse  themselves. 

. — Elle  a  une  araignee  dans  le  plafond '=  She  has 
a  bee  in  her  bonnet 

Les  lois  ressemblent  a  des  toiles  d' araignee  que  les  grosses 
mouches  crevent,  tandis  que  les  petites  s'yfont  prendre  = 
Justice's  net  like  a  spider's  web  is  wrought : 
Big  flies  break  through,  but  the  little  ones  are  caught. 
Ses  pattes  d' araignee  sont  indechiffrables  —  There  is  no 
making  out  his  scrawling  hand. 


20          FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND   PROVERBS 

Arbre. — II  faut  plier  I'arbre,  pendant  qu'il  est  jeune  =  The 

tree  should  be  bent  while  it  is  but  a  twig. 
Ne  mettez  jamais   le   doigt  entre  I'arbre  et  l'ecorce  = 

Never  interfere  between  man  and  wife. 
L'arbre  ne  tombe  pas  du  premier  coup  =  Everything  takes 

time.     Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day. 
Par  le  temps  qui  court,  que  de  gens  ont  pour  maxime  de 

?  attacker  au  gros  de  I'arbre  /  =  In  these  days  of  ours, 

how  many  people  make  it  a  rule  of  conduct  to  side 

with  the  strongest  ! 
77  s'est  toujours  tenu  au  gros  de  Parbre  =  The  vicar  of 

Bray  is  the  vicar  of  Bray  still. 
Arc. — //  a  plusieurs  cordes  a  son  a?r=He  has  more  than 

one  string  to  his  bow. 

Argon. — //  estferme  dans  les  arfons=He  sits  firm  on  horse- 
back.    Figuratively  :  He  is  true  to  his  principles. 
//  a  eu  vite  vide  les  arsons  =  He  was  soon  thrown  out  of 

the  saddle. 
Argent. — 11  faut  qrfil  paie  argent  comptant=  He  must  pay 

ready  money. 
//  ne  faut  pas  prendre  tout  ce  qrfil  dit  pour  argent 

comptant  =  You  must  not  take  everything  he  says  for 

gospel. 
Us  depensent  un  argent  fou  =  They  spend  no  end  of 

money. 
Oest    un    bourreau    d?  argent =  He    is    a    spendthrift. 

Money  burns  in  his  pocket. 
L }  argent  est  court  chez  eux ;  Us  sont  a  court  d 'argent '= 

Money  is  a  scarce  commodity  with  them. 
II  faut  que  je  fasse  rentrer  cet  argent  =\  must  call  in 

that  money. 
Elle  y  va  bon  jeu,  bon  argent  =  She  is  setting  about  it 

in  earnest. 

Us  sont  cousus  d' argent  =  They  roll  in  riches. 
Argent  comptant  porte  medecine  =  ~R.ea.&y  money  is  a 

remedy. 

Point  d'argent,  point  de  Suisse,  et  ma  porte  etait  close  — 

[RACINE,  Les  Plaideurs.] 

No  money,  no  Swiss,  no  paternoster;  and  my  gate 
was  closed. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          21 


des  armes.     Tirer  des  armes  —  To  fence. 
Arme  blanche  —  Bayonet,  sword. 
Arme  se  chargeant  par  la  gueule  =  Muzzle-loader. 
Arme  se  chargeant  par  la  culasse  =  Breech-loader. 
Portez  armes  I  =  Shoulder  arms  ! 
Presentez  armes  I  —  Present  arms  ! 
Compagnon  d*  armes  =  Brother  officer. 
Les  armes  sont  journalieres  =  The  fortune  of  war  is 

fickle. 
Arme*e.  —  Les  arm'ees  de  terre  et  de  mer=The  land  and 

naval  forces. 
Arpenter.  —  //  arpentait  le  terrain  =  He  was  making  rapid 

strides. 
d'Arrache-pied.—  -Je  travaille  d*arrache-pied=\  work  in- 

cessantly. 
s'Arracher.  —  On  se  rarrache  =  tie  is  extremely  popular. 

It  is  in  great  demand. 

Arracheur.  —  II  ment  comme  un  arracheur  de  dents  =  He  lies 
like  a  mountebank. 

s'  Arranger.  —  Arrangez-vous  comme  vous  pourrez,je  ne  m'en 

mele  plus  =  Settle  the  matter  between  yourselves  just 

as  you  can,  I  will  not  have  anything  more  to  do 

with  it. 

//  ne  sait  pas  J  arranger  =  He  does  not  know  how  to 

set  to  work. 

Arret.  —  Arret  de  mort=  Sentence  of  death. 
Mandat  darret=  Warrant. 
Mettre  aux  arrets  =  To  place  under  arrest. 
Lever  les  arrets  =  To  release  from  arrest. 
Arreter.  —  Ilfaut  arreter  des  mesures  energiques  =  We  must 

resolve  on  energetic  measures. 
Le  marche  est  arrete  =  The  bargain  is  concluded. 
J  'at  arrete  un  domestique  =  I  have  hired  a  servant. 
fat  arrete  ma  place  =  I  have  secured,  booked,  my  place. 
S*  Arreter.  —  Ne  vous  arretez  pas  a  ce  que  disent  ces  gens-la 
=  Don't   pay  any  attention  to  what  those  people 
may  say. 

Arriver.  —  //  arrivera  =  He  will  make  his  way  in  the  world. 


22  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Arrive  que  pourra  =  Come  what  may. 

Que  cela  ne  vous  arrive  plus  =  Don't  do  that  again. 

En  arriver  la,  c'est  Men  trtsfe  =  rTha.t  matters  should 

come  to  this  is  very  sad. 
Un   malheur   n  arrive  jamais   seut=One    misfortune 

never  comes  alone. 
Article. — //  est  a  r article  de  la  mort=  He  is  on  the  point  of 

death — Jn  articulo  mortis. 
Elle  sait  faire  V article  =  She  knows  how  to  puff  her 

goods. 
Assaut. — La  citadelle  fut  emportee  d'assaut=The  citadel 

was  carried  by  storm. 
Us  ont  fait  assaut  de  prevenances  =  They  vied  with  each 

other  in  kind  attentions. 
S*  Assembler. — Qui  se   ressemble   s'assemMe=  Birds   of   a 

feather  flock  together. 
Assez. — En  voila  assez  =  This  will  do. 

Suis-je  assez  tracass'e  !  —  Could  I  be  more  worried  ! 

On  ri*en  a  jamais  assez  =  Much  would  have  more. 

Assiette.* — -Je  ne  suis  pas  dans  mon  assiette  aujourd'hui=  I 

feel  out  of  sorts  to-day. 

1} assiette  des  impots  =  rYhe  assessment  of  taxes. 
Cest  un  pique-as siette  =  He  is  a  parasite,  a  sponger. 
Cela  fait  pitie  de  voir  comme  quoi presque  tout  le  monde 


*  Assiette  has  no  etymological  connection  with  asseoir,  and,  accord- 
ing to  Diez  and  other  high  authorities,  it  is  not  primarily  derived  from 
ad  situm,  as  stated  by  Littre,  who  defines  the  word,  "  Une  maniere  de 
se  poser,  d'etre  pose."  Like  the  Proven9al  assieto,  arrangement,  and 
the  Italian  assetto,  adjustment,  it  is  to  be  traced  to  a  verb  assettare,  to 
arrange,  to  distribute,  to  place  one's  guests  round  a  table ;  and  in 
fassiette  de  I'imp8ty  the  assessment  of  taxes,  the  word  is  used  in  its 
literal  and  original  sense.  Subsequently  it  expressed  situation,  and 
then  it  came  to  designate  the  plate  or  plateau  which  marked  the  place 
assigned  to  each  guest  at  a  banquet.  Assettare,  which  in  Italian  also 
means  to  carve,  i.e.  to  do  the  honours  at  table,  is  probably  derived  from 
assecare  (supine,  assec(uni),  to  cut  up ;  this  etymology  is  supported  by 
the  old  spelling  assiecte.  Let  us  add  that  this  connection  between 
assiette  and  the  idea  of  a  plateau  or  tailloir  is  corroborated  by  the 
analogy  between  the  Dutch  word  for  plate,  taljoor,  teljoor,  and  the 
French  verb  tattler,  Low  Latin  taliorium,  Italian  tagliere. — MARIETTE'S 
Edition  of  COFFEE'S  Le  Tn'sor,  p.  41. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          23 

maintenant  veut  sa  part  de  I'assiette  au  beurre  =  It  is 
lamentable  to  see  how  nearly  every  one  nowadays 
wants  his  share  of  the  good  things  in  the  gift  of  the 
Government. 
Assoupir.  — E  affaire  a  etc  assoupie  =  The  affair  was  hushed 

up. 

Attacher. — Attacker  le grelot=To  bell  the  cat. 
Atteindre. — //  esf  atteint  (fun  eresfptte  =  H.e  suffers  from 

an  erysipelas. 

Atteinte. — La  mort  n'a  pas  porte  atteinte  a  fxuvre  si 
heureusement  commencee  =  Death  has  not  interfered 
with,  has  not  compromised,  the  work  so  happily 
begun. 

Atteler. — Faites  atteler=  Have  the  horses  put  to. 
Attendre. — Nous  attendons  du  monde  =  We  expect  com- 
pany. 

No  us  les  attendons  =  We  are  waiting  for  them. 
Ne  vous  faites  pas  attendre  =\}QV?\.  keep  people  waiting. 
Je  P  attends  la  -  I'll  have  him  there. 
Tout  vient  a  point  a  qui  sait  attendre  =  Patience  brings 

all  things  about. 
s' Attendre. — -Je   ne   nUattendais  guere   a   cela  =  I    hardly 

expected  that. 

On  peut  s1  attendre  a  tout,  surtout  a  I'inattendu  =  One 
may  expect  anything  in  this  world,  especially  the 
unexpected. 
Ne  f  attends  qrfa  toi  seul,  c'est  un  commun  proverbe  — 

Rely  only  upon  thyself,  that  is  a  common  saying. 
s'Attirer. —  Vous  vous  attirerez  des  affaires,  des  desagrements 

=  You  will  get  yourself  into  scrapes. 
Attraper. — Bienfin  quipourrait  Fattraper—  It  would  take 

a  sharp  fellow  to  get  the  better  of  him. 
Attrapel  c'est  bien  fait  =  Well  done  !  take  that;  serves 
you  right. 

Aubaine. — C'est  une  fameuse  aubaine  =  \i  is  a  wonderful 

piece  of  good  luck. 
Audience. — Audience  a  huis  clos  =  K  sitting  with  closed 

doors  [in  old  French,  huis\ 


24  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Aujourd'hui.*  —  Aujourd'hui  en  huit,  en  quinze  =  This  day 

week,  this  day  fortnight. 
Aujourd'hui  en  chere,  demain  en  Mere  =  To-day  feasting, 

to-morrow  dying. 
Aujourd'hui  chevalier,  demain  vacher  =  rTo-&a.y  up  in 

the  world  [as  a  knight],  to-morrow  down  in  a  stable 

[as  a  cowkeeper]  ;   to-day  powerful  and  honoured, 

to-morrow  poor  and  despised. 
Aujourd'hui  marie,  demain  marri—  To-day  full  of  joy 

over  the  wedding,  to-morrow  full  of  disappointment 

with  the  bad  choice  made. 
Aujourd'hui  en  fleurs,  demain  en  pleurs  =  To-day  in  a 

shower  of  flowers,  to-morrow  in  a  flood  of  tears. 
Un  bon  aujourd'hui  vaut  mieux  que  deux  demain  = 

One  to-day  is  worth  two  to-morrows. 
Aune.  —  Chacun  sait  ce  qu'en  vaut  I'aune  =  Every  one  knows 

all  about  it  to  his  cost. 
//  mesure  les  autres  a  son  aune  =  He  measures  other 

people's  corn  by  his  own  bushel. 
Les  hommes  ne  se  mesurent  pas  a  I'  aune  =  One  must  not 

judge  of  a  man's  merit  by  his  stature. 
Au  bout  de  I'aune  faut  (manque}  le  drap  =  Everything 

has  an  end  ;  there  are  limits  to  things. 
//  a  toujours  dix  aunes  de  boyaux  vides  pour  feter  ses 

bons  amis  —  He  can  always  raise  an  appetite  to  feast 

with  his  friends.     He  is  ever  ready  to  eat. 
Tout  du  long  de  I'aune  =  Excessively. 

Oest  v'eritablement  la  tour  de  Ba,bylone  ; 

Car  chacun  y  babille,  et  tout  le  long  de  Faune  = 


It   is   truly  the   tower  of  Babylon  ;  for  they  all 

chatter  away  there,  "  by  the  yard." 

Aupr£s.  —  //  estfort  bien,  dit  on,  auprh  du  ministre  =  They 
say  he  is  in  favour  with  the  minister. 

*  AujourcThui,  a  compound  of  au,  jour,  <fhui.  Hui  alone  was  used 
formerly  for  to-day,  hodie,  so  that  aujounfhui  really  stands  for  "  on  the 
day  of  to-day."  And  yet,  not  satisfied  with  the  latent  pleonasm,  some 
country-folks  will  actually  say,  by  way  of  emphasis,  "au  jour  d'aujour- 
d'hui."  CejoiirtP  hui\i,  used  in  legal  phraseology,  —  MARIETTE'S  Edition 
of  COFFEE'S  Luthier  de  Cremone,  p.  48. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS  25 

II  a  etc  admis  aupres  du  roi=  He  was  admitted  into  the 
king's  presence. 

Elle  cherche  a  me  nuire  aupres  d'eux  =  She  seeks  to 
injure  me  in  their  opinion. 

Vos  legumes  et  vos  fruits  ne  sont  rien  aupres  des  notres  = 
Your  vegetables  and  your  fruit  are  not  to  be  com- 
pared with  ours. 
Aussitot. — Aussitot  dit,  aussitotfait=No  sooner  said  than 

done. 

Alltant. — Oest  toujours  autant,  autant  de  gagne  =  Mean- 
while, it  is  so  much  to  the  good. 

C'est  autant  de  perdu  =  It  is  so  much  lost. 

Cela  est  fait,  ou  autant  vaut  =  It  is  as  good  as  done. 

Autant  lui  en  pend  a  foreille  =  The  same  fate  is  await- 
ing him. 

Autant  par tir  tout  de  suite  =  We  may  as  well  start  at 
once. 

Cela  ma  coute  cent  dix-huit francs,  autant  dire  cent  vingt 
—  It  cost  me  one  hundred  and  eighteen  francs,  or,  to 
speak  in  round  numbers,  one  hundred  and  twenty. 

Autant  en  emporte  le  vent=  It  is  all  hollow  talk.  Many 
words  will  not  fill  a  bushel. 

Autant  de  tetes,  autant  d'avis  =  Many  men,  many  minds. 

Autant  de  trous,  autant  de  chevilles  —  A  plaster  for  every 
sore. 

Autant  run  est  aimable,  autant  I'autre  est  maussade  = 

One  is  as  amiable  as  the  other  is  sulky. 
Je  le  crois  d' autant  mains  qu'il  est  toujours  pret  a  vous 
donner  sa  parole  d'honneur  —  I  believe  him  all  the 
less  as  he  is  always  ready  to  give  you  his  word  of 
honour. 

II  faut  autant  qu'on  peut  obliger  tout  le  monde  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

We  must  oblige  everybody  as  far  as  possible. 
Autel. — Le  pretre  vit  de  I'autel  =  A  man  must  live  by  his 
business. 

s'Autoriser. — Quand  on  possede  tant  de  talent  et  de  vigueur, 
on  se  doit  de  prendre  parti,  de  ne  pas  s'autoriser  de  ce 
qu'il y  a  de  par  le  monde  beaucoup  de  ch^vres  et  beau- 


26          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

coup  de  choux  pour  menager  a  la  fois  les  unes  et  les 
autres  =  [Le  Petit  Journal.} 

With  so  much  talent  and  vigour,  one  owes  it  to 
oneself  to  take  a  determination,  and  not  to 
presume  on  the  fact  that  there  are  many  goats 
and  many  cabbages  about  the  world,  to  spare 
both  the  ones  and  the  others.  One  should  dare 
to  take  sides. 
Autorit£. — II  fait  autorite  en  matiere  d' archeologie  =  He  is 

an  authority  in  archaeology. 
Alltour. — Pourquoi  tant  tourner  autour  du  ^/?  =  Why 

beat  thus  about  the  bush  ? 

Autre. — Nous  autres,  Anglais  -  We,  Englishmen. 
Comme  dit  I' autre  =  As  the  saying  is. 
Je  le  reconnais  bien  la  ;  il  n'en  fait  jamais  d*  autres  = 

That's  just  like  him. 

C'est  tout  un  ou  tout  autre  =  It  is  either  this  or  that. 
L'un   dans   Fautre,   I'un  portant  Vautre  —  One  with 

another.     On  an  average. 

Regarder  de  cote  et  d' autre  =  To  look  here  and  there. 
Nous  parlions  de  chases  et  d1  autres  =  We  were  talking  of 

different  things. 

En  void  bien  d'une  autre  !  =  What's  in  the  wind  now  ? 
fen  ai  vu  bien  d1  autres  =  I  have  outlived  worse  things 

than  that. 
Autres  temps,  autres  mcsurs  =  Manners  change  with  the 

times. 

Autre  chose  est  etre  instruit ;  autre  chose  est  communiquer 
son  instruction  aux  autres  =  To  be  learned  is  one 
thing ;  to  be  able  to  impart  one's  learning  to  others 
is  quite  another  thing. 
Les  affaires,  c'est  I' argent  des  autres  [ironically]  = 

[ALEX.  DUMAS.] 

Business  is  other  people's  money. 
Le  devoir,  c'est  le  bonheur  des  autres  = 

[A.  BELLAIGNE.] 
Duty  is  other  people's  happiness. 

A   d1  autres  =  Make  others  believe  that  if  you  can. 
That  won't  do.     Tell  that  to  the  marines. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS  27 

Je  vous  vois  venir :   Vous  voulez  me  tirer  les  vers  du  nez. 
A  d'autres,  vous  ne  m'y  tenez  pas=      [DESTOUCHES.] 
I  see  you  coming  :  you  want  to  pump  me.     That 

won't  do ;  you  shall  not  catch  me. 
Avance. — La  belle  avance /  =  What  is  [or,  what  would  be] 

the  good  of  it  ? 
Avancer. —  Vous  voila  bien  avance !  =  What  did  you  [or, 

what  will  you]  gain  by  it  ? 
Ma  montre   retardait ;   elle  avance   maintenant  —  My 

watch  was  slow ;  now,  it  is  fast. 
Avant. — La  maison  de  campagne  est  bien  avant  dans  les 

terres  =  The  country  house  lies  far  inland. 
Nous  etions  deja  fort  avant  dans  Vhiver  =  We  were 

already  far  advanced  into  the  winter. 
La  derniere  gelee  a  penetre  fort  avant  dans  la  terre  = 

The  last  frost  got  very  deep  into  the  ground. 
Vous  allez  trop  de  /'az>a#/=  You  go  too  far  ahead. 
II  va  cranement  de  V avant =  He  goes  pluckily  forward. 
Avant  peu  =  Before  long. 
Avec. — Avec  fa  !  [familiar]  =  I  dare  say. 

Avec  fa,  que  ses  menaces  me  font  peur  =  Rubbish  !  do 

you  think  his  threats  frighten  me  ? 
Avec  fa,  que  les  autres  rien  font  pas  autant=]ust  as  if 

other  people  did  not  do  the  same. 
Avenant. — Le  reste  etait  a  ravenant=The  remainder  was 

in  keeping. 
s'Aventurer. — Qui  ne  Javenture  perd  cheval  et  mule  = 

Nothing  venture,  nothing  have. 
Qui  trop  s'aventure  n'a  ni  cheval,  ni  mule  =  Venture  all, 

lose  all. 

Averti. — Un  bon  averti  en  vaut  deux  —  Forewarned,  fore- 
armed. 
Aveu.* — Des  gens  sans  aveu  =  Vagabonds. 

*  In  feudal  times  a  new  vassal  had  to  make  an  avowal  by  which  he 
acknowledged  having  received  such  or  such  lands  from  the  lord  of  the 
manor.  This  was  called  "  Rendre  un  aveu."  Hence  the  disparaging 
expression,  Un  homme  sans  aveu,  which  was  applied  to  a  man  who  had 
not  the  means  of  holding  such  property ;  and  in  the  course  of  time, 
this  expression,  originally  purely  legal,  became  opprobrious. 


28  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Aveilgle. —  Vous  criez  comme  un  aveugle  qui  a  perdu  son 

baton  =  You  cry  like  a  child  who  misses  his  rattle. 
Avis.  —  Deux  avis  valent  mieux  <?u'un  =  T'WO  heads   are 
better  than  one. 

Avis  au  lecteur  =  A  word  to  the  wise. 

Prendre  des  lettres  d'avis  =  To  deliberate  in  earnest, 
with  all  due  consideration. 

11 y  a  jour  d'avis  =  There  is  no  hurry. 

Avis  au  public  =  K  notice  to  the  public. 

J'ai  re{u  avis  dans  ce  sens  =  I  got  an  intimation  to  that 
effect. 

Sauf  meilleur  avis  —  Unless  something  better  be  sug- 
gested. 

Sauf  avis  contraire  =  Unless  I  hear  to  the  contrary. 

M'estavis  que  nous  le  reverrons  =  \  rather  think  we  shall 
see  him  again. 

Us  se  sont  ranges  a  Favis  du  president  *  =  They   all 

sided  with  the  chairman. 

Aviser. — Nous  aviserons  =  We  shall  think  the  matter  over. 
s'Aviser. — On  ne  s'avise  pas  de  tout  =  One.  does  not  think 
of  everything. 

De  quoi  vous  avisez-vous  ?  =  How  dare  you  ?     How  do 
you  presume  to  do  such  a  thing  ? 

Qu'il  ne  s'en  avise  pas  !  =  He  had  better  not. 

De  tout  s'avise  a  qui  pain  faut  \manque\  —  Necessity  is 

the  mother  of  industry. 

Avoir. — -fai  f aim  ;  fai  soif;  fai  chaud ;  fai  froid  ;  elle  a 
raison  ;  vous  avez  tort;  Us  ont  peur  ;  riont-ils  pas 
honte  ?  =  I  am  hungry ;  I  am  thirsty ;  I  am  hot ;  I 
am  cold ;  she  is  right ;  you  are  wrong ;  they  are 
afraid ;  are  they  not  ashamed  ? 

J'ai  chaud  aux  mains,  mat's  fai  froid  aux  pieds  =  My 
hands  are  warm,  but  my  feet  are  cold. 

J'ai  peine  a  croire  cela  =  I  can  hardly  believe  that. 


*  Se  ranger  a  Vavis  de  quelqiiitn  is  a  phrase  borrowed  from  the 
Romans,  /«  alicujus  senteniiam  descendere,  which  conveyed  the  fact 
of  quitting  one's  place  in  a  council  chamber  to  go  and  sit  by  the  side  of 
a  colleague  who  had  just  made  a  motion,  or  expressed  an  opinion,  that 
tallied  with  one's  views. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          29 

Ayez  en  bien  soin  =  Take  great  care  of  it 

fen  avals  Men  besom  et  bien  envie  =  I  wanted  it  badly, 
and  wished  for  it  very  much. 

Quy  a-t-ilt  Qu?avez-vous ?  —  What  is  the  matter? 
What  ails  you  ? 

A  qui  en  avez-vous  ?  =  Whom  do  you  mean  ? 

II y  en  a  qui  le  disent  —  There  are  some  folks  who 
say  so. 

Us  ont  de  quoi  [elliptically,  de  quoi  vivre~\  =  They  are 
well  off. 

Rabelais  riavaitplus  de  quoi  payer  son  voyage  =  Rabelais 
had  no  money  left  to  pay  his  travelling  expenses. 

11  y  a  certainement  de  quoi  se  tourmenter  =  There  cer- 
tainly is  good  ground  for  uneasiness. 

II y  a  de  cela  trois  jours  —  That  is  three  days  ago. 

J'aurai  beau  lui parler,  il  rfecoute  personne  =  It  will  be 
of  no  use  my  talking  to  him,  he  will  not  listen  to 
anybody. 

Et  vous  avez  beau  dire, 
Des  ce  soir  on  vous  f era  frire  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

And  in  spite  of  your  fine  talk,  you  shall  be  fried 
this  very  evening. 

fen  ai  tout  au  plus  pour  une  demi-heure  =  It  will  take 
me  half-an-hour  at  most. 

N'allez  pas  chez  lui :  il  riaurait  qu'a  vous  mettre  dehors 
=  Don't  go  to  his  house  :  he  might  turn  you  out. 

//  n'est  rien  tel  que  d'en  avoir  =  Money  is  the  thing  to 

secure  respect. 

Je  vous  remercie — //  riy  a  pas  de  quoi—  I  thank  you — 
Don't  name  it. 

Notre  avoir  est  doublement  reduit  par  la  depreciation  de 
toutes  les  valeurs  d'une  part,  et  r  augmentation  des 
taxes,  de  Pautre  =  Our  property  [or,  income]  is  doubly 
reduced  by  the  depreciation  of  all  stocks  and  secu- 
rities on  the  one  hand,  and  the  increase  of  taxes  on 
the  other. 

Sa  beaute  constitue  tout  son  avoir  =  Her  beauty  is  all 
she  has. 

Doit  et  avoir  =  Debit  and  credit. 


30  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Compte  par  doit  et  avoir  =  Account  by  Dr.  and  Cr. 
Veuillez  porter  ces  diverses  sommes  a  mon  avoir  =  Please 

to  credit  my  account  with  those  divers  sums. 
Avril. — Avril  pluvieux,  mat  gai  et  venteux 

Annoncent  an  fecond  et  meme  gracieux  = 
A  rainy  April,  and  a  lively,  windy  May,  foretell  a 
fertile  and  even  generous  year. 

Mars  gris,  avril pluvieux  et  mai  venteux 
Font  Van  fertile  et  plantureux  = 
A  grey  March,  a  rainy  April,  and  a  windy  May, 
bring  about  a  year  fertile  and  fat. 

Avril  froid pain  et  vin  donne  = 
A  cold  April  gives  bread  and  wine. 
Avril  et  mai  de  Vann'ee 
Font  tout  seuls  la  destinee  = 

April  and  May  settle  by  themselves  the  lot  of  the  year. 
Gelee  d1  avril  ou  de  mai 
Mistre  nous  predit  au  vrai= 

A  frost  in  April  or  May  foretells  misery  to  a  certainty. 
Quand  il  tonne  en  avril, 
Apprete  ton  baril= 

When  it  thunders  in  April,  get  your  barrel  ready. 
En  avril  s'il  tonne, 
C'est  nouvelle  bonne  = 
If  it  thunders  in  April,  it  is  good  news. 
On  lui  a  donne  unpoisson  d'avril=  They  made  an  April 
fool  of  him. 

B. 

B.* — Eire  marque  au  B- To  bear  a  fatal  stigma. 
Bigle,  borgne,  bossu,  bolteux, 
Ne  fy  fie  si  tu  ne  veux  = 

Squint-eyed,  one-eyed,  hunch-backed,  lame — don't 
trust  any  of  them,  if  you  don't  wish  (to  be 
taken  in). 

*  Eire  marque  au  B.  An  old-fashioned  expression  applied  to  people 
who  may  happen  to  be  qualified  by  a  disparaging  epithet  beginning 
with  the  letter  B  :  bancal,  bandy-legged ;  bigle,  squint-eyed  ;  botteux, 
lame  ;  borgne,  one-eyed  ;  bossu,  hunch-backed,  &c. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          31 

Beicler. — U  affaire  a  etc  vite  baclee  =  rT\\e,  affair  got  soon 

polished  off. 
Badiner. — On  ne  badine  pas  avec  V Amour  = 

[A.   DE   MUSSET.] 

Love  is  not  to  be  trifled  with. 
Bagage. — //  a  du  plier  Bagage  =  tie  had  to  pack  up  and 

be  off. 

Bague. —  Votre  poste  vous  laisse  du  loisir :  c'est  une  bague 
au  doigt=\Qvx  post  allows  you  plenty  of  leisure  :  it 
is  a  sinecure. 
Baguette. — Us  menent  leurs  gens  a  la  baguette  =  They  rule 

their  people  with  a  rod  of  iron. 
Bailler. —  Vous  nous  la  baillez  belle  /  =  A  pretty  story  you 

are  telling  us  ! 
Baisse. — //  ecoutait  tete  batssee  =  1Ae  was  listening  with  a 

modest  air,  humbly. 
//  s1  elan  fa  sur  I'ennemi  tete  baissee=YLe  rushed  at  the 

foe  headlong,  boldly. 
//  a  donne  tete  baissee  dans  le  piege  =  He  ran  headlong 

into  the  trap. 

Baisser.  — Baisser  I'oreille  =  To  look  discouraged. 
Elle  baisse  beaucoup  =  She  is  getting  much  weaker. 
Quand  tu  me  verras  baisser,  ne  manque  pas  de  m'en 
avertir  =  [  Gil  Bias.] 

When  you  perceive  that  my  genius  flags,  don't  fail 

to  warn  me. 

Ma  vue  baisse  =  My  sight  is  getting  weak. 
Cette  nouvelle  a  fait  baisser  les  fonds  =  That  piece  of 

news  brought  down  the  stocks  and  shares. 
SC  Baisser. — On  dirait  a  ^entendre  qu'il  n'y  a  fu'd  se 
baisser  et  en  prendre  =  He  is  a  conceited  fellow  who 
would  fain  have  us  believe  that  he  can  obtain  any- 
thing he  chooses  to  ask. 
Balai. — //  n'est  rien  tel  que  balai  neuf=  New  brooms  sweep 

clean. 

//  m'a  Men  servi  d^abord:   il  faisait  balai  neuf=~H.e 
served  me  well  at  first,  with  the  proverbial  efficiency 
of  a  new  broom. 
Rotir  le  balai  =  To  lead  a  disorderly  life. 


32          FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Balance. — Et  le  del  qui pour  moi  fit  pencher  la  balance 
Dans  ce  temps-la,  sans  doute,  agissait  sur  son  cceur  = 

[RACINE,  Esther.} 

And  Heaven,  which  turned  the  scale  in  my  favour, 
was  doubtless,  at  the  time,  acting  on  his  heart. 

Balle. — II  faut  saisir  la  balle  au  bond=Qne  must  make 

the  most  of  the  opportunity. 
Us  se  renvoient  la  balle  =  They  throw  the  blame  on  each 

other. 

Toutes  les  allusions  ont  porte,   tous  les  mots  ont  fait 
balle  =  [A.  CLAVEAU.] 

Every  allusion  carried  straight,  every  word  hit  the 

mark. 
Balle  perdue  -  Spent  ball. 

Ballon. — Ballon  d'essai '=  A  pilot  balloon.     A  feeler. 

Ban. — Le  grand  poete  se  mit  au  ban  de  la  sotiete  anglaise  = 
The  great  poet  got  himself  outlawed  by  English 

society. 

Us  ont  fait  appel  au  ban  et  a  r arriere-ban  des  fideles  = 
They  appealed  to  the  rank  and  file  of  the  faithful 

followers. 
Le  prince  revolt'e  fut  mis  au  ban  de  I1  Empire  =  The 

rebel  prince  was  put  under  the  ban  of  the  Empire. 
Une  dispense  de  bans  =  A  marriage  license. 

Bane. — Un  bane  de  cor  ail =  A  coral  reef. 

Un  bane  de  harengs  -  A  shoal  of  herrings. 
Un  bane  d'huitres  =  A  bed  of  oysters. 
J'etais  encore  sur  les  banes  =  I  was  still  at  school. 

Bande. —  Une  bande  de  papier—  A  slip  of  paper. 
Une  bande  de  -voleurs  =  A  gang  of  thieves. 
Bande  de  billard=  The  cushion  of  a  billiard  table. 
Ils  se  plaisent  a  faire  bande  a  /ar/=They  delight  in 
standing  apart,  and  differing  from  all  others. 

Bandeau. — //  avait  un  bandeau  sur  les  yeux  =  He  was 
blindfolded. 

Banque. — II  pretend  faire  sauter  la  banque=  He  means  to 
break  the  bank. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERI'.S          33 

Banqueroute. — //  a  fait  banqueroute  a  l'honneur=}^.e. 

has  forfeited  his  honour. 

Banquette. — Les  pauvres  acteurs  ont  joue  devant  hs  ban- 
quettes —  The  poor  actors  played  to  empty  benches. 
Bapteme. — Nom  de  bapteme  =  Christian  name. 
Extrait  de  bapteme  =  Certificate  of  baptism. 
Barbe. — //  riait  dans  sa  frart>e='H.e  was  laughing  in  his 

sleeve. 

Je  le  lui  at  dit  a  sa  barbe=\  told  him  so  to  his  face. 
II  faut  que  je  me  fasse  la  barbe  =  I  must  shave. 
Je  n' at  pas  voulu  qitil  me  fit  la  barbe=\  did  not  wish 

to  be  outdone  by  him. 

Barbier. —  Un  barbier  rase  t'autre  =  C\a.w  me,  claw  thee. 
Barque. — //  conduit  adroitement  sa  barque  =  ^e  manages 

his  affairs  very  well. 
C'esf  elle  qui  conduit  la  barque  —  She  it  is  who  manages 

the  concern. 

Barre. — C'est  deToren  barre  =  It  is  as  good  as  ready  money. 
Je  ne  ferai  que  toucher  barres  =  1  shall  not  stop  at  the 

place. 

J'at  barres  sur  lui=  I  have  an  advantage  over  him. 
Je  lui  tiendrai  bonne  barre  —  I  shall  resist  him  stoutly. 
Bas.* — II est parti T oreille  basse  =  He  went  away  crestfallen. 
//  traite  son  monde  de  haut  en  bas=  He  has  a  contemp- 
tuous way  of  addressing  people. 


*  Bas.  Low  Latin  bassus;  whence  bassesse,  baseness ;  basse  (music), 
bass  ;  has,  stocking,  an  abbreviation  of  bas-de-chattsses,  as  opposed  to 
haut-de-chausses. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  difference  in  the  relative  positions  of  the 
adjective  has  towards  the  noun  to  which  it  is  attached.  Thus  we  say: 
Marcher  F oreille  basse,  tete  basse ;  faire  main  basse,  to  take  possession 
of;  parler  a  voix  basse;  une  messe  basse,  a  low  mass  (not  chanted); 
inaison  basse ;  Ante  basse,  sentiments  bas ;  terme  has ;  plaisanterie  basse  ; 
avoir  la  vue  basse,  to  be  short-sighted  ;  la  chambre  basse,  the  House  of 
Commons,  &c.  On  the  other  hand,  the  adjective  comes  first  in  the 
following :  Ce  bas  monde,  this  lower  world  ;  basses  terres,  low  lands ; 
le  bas  boiit  Je  la  table,  the  lower  end  of  the  table  ;  basse  mer,  low  tide  ; 
le  Bas-Empire,  the  Lower  Empire ;  la  basse  Infinite,  the  low  Latin  of 
the  Lower  Empire  and  the  Middle  Ages  ;  la  basse  classe,  le  bas  peuple ; 
les  basses  cartes,  the  small  cards  ;  vendre  a  bas  prix  ;  etre  en  bas  Age,  to 
be  an  infant,  &c. — [MARIETTE'S  Edition  of  COFFEE'S  Le  Tresor,  p.  39.] 

VOL.    J.  C 


34          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Us  firent  main  basse  sur  tout=  They  got  hold  of  every- 
thing. 

Us  ontmis  bas  les  armes  =  They  surrendered  to  the  enemy. 
.A  bas  le  tyran  !=  Down  with  the  tyrant ! 
Chapeau  bas  I  chapeau  bas  ! 
Gloire  au  marquis  de  Carabas  !  — 

[BERANGER.] 

Hats  off !  hats  off !    Glory  to  the  Marquis  of  Carabas  ! 
II  y  a  des  hauts  et  des  bas  dans  la  vie  —  There  are  ups 

and  downs  in  life. 
//  est  bien  bas  perce  =  Things  are  very  low  with  him. 

He  is  hard  up. 
Le  bonheur  ne  se  trouve  nulle  part  ici-bas  =  Happiness 

is  nowhere  to  be  found  here  below. 
Bas-bleu.* — Cette   demoiselle   est  un  vrai  bas-bleu  =  This 

young  lady  is  a  regular  blue-stocking. 

Bat. — Chacun  sait  ou  le  bat  le  blesse—  Every  one  knows  best 
where  his  shoe  pinches  ;  every  one  knows  the  weight 
of  his  own  burden. 
Bataille. — Bataille  rangee  —  Pitched  battle. 

Cest  la  son  grand  cheval  de  bataille  =  That  is  his  main 

argument. 

Bateau. —  Votre  serviteur  Gille  .  .  . 

Arrive  en  trois  bateaux,  expris  pour  vous  parler. 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Your  servant  Gille  is  coming  in  great  state  on  pur- 
pose to  speak  to  you. 


*  Bas-bleu  is  a  nickname  commonly  given  to  ladies  of  exclusively 
intellectual  tastes  and  pursuits,  who  are  also  ungallantly  called  "  strong- 
minded  females."  The  word  bas-bleu  originates  from  England,  being  a 
literal  rendering  of  blue  stocking,  an  expression  that  dates  from  Lady 
Mary  Wortley  Montagu  (1690-1760).  This  celebrated  lady  is  com- 
monly credited  with  its  first  introduction  into  the  English  language, 
whether  she  really  said,  in  allusion  to  a  custom  she  had  found  at 
Venice,  that  any  distinguished  visitor  was  welcome  to  attend  her 
learned  reunions  even  in  blue  stockings — as  worn  in  a  certain  Venetian 
circle — or  whether  the  name  came,  as  related  by  the  late  Professor 
Philarete  Chasles,  a  great  French  authority  in  all  English  literary 
matters,  from  her  being  once  denounced  by  Alexander  Pope  (whom  she 
had  cruelly  snubbed),  as  wearing  blue  stockings. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          35 

Je  me  suis  vite  aperfu  qu*il  m'avait  monte  un  bateau  =  I 

soon  perceived  that  he  had  told  me  a  story. 
Baton. — -Je  travaille  a  batons  rompus=  I  work  by  fits  and 

starts. 
//  met  toujours  des  batons  dans  les  roues  =  He  is  always 

raising  difficulties,  always  putting  a  spoke   in   the 

wheel. 
Tour  du  baton  =  Perquisites,   illicit  profits  out  of  an 

office  or  a  situation. 
Batonnier.* — 11  est  batonnier  de  I'ordre  des  avocats  =  He  is 

the  president  of  the  Order  of  Barristers. 
Battant. — Porte  a  deux  battants=  Folding-doors. 
Tout  battant  neuf=  Spick  and  span  new. 
//  les  mene  tambour  battant  =  He  carries  it  with  a  high 

hand  over  them. 
Us  sont partis  par  une  pluie  battante  =  They  went  away 

in  a  pelting  rain. 
Battre. —  Venez  au  fait  sans  battre  la  campagne  —  Come  to 

the  point  without  beating  about  the  bush. 
Void  trois  ans  qrfil  bat  le  pave  =  He  has  been  loafing 

about  this  last  three  years. 

Les  cartes  sont-elles  battues  ?  =  Are  the  cards  shuffled  ? 
Us  ne  battent  plus  que  d'une  aile  =  They  are  almost 

done  for. 
Us  ont  cte  battus  a  pleine  couture  =  They  were  thoroughly 

beaten. 
La  fievre  typho'ide  bat  son  plein  -  The  typhoid  fever  is 

raging. 
//  faut  battre  le  fer  pendant  qu'il  est  chaud—  We  must 

strike  the  iron  while  it  is  hot;  pursue  a  thing  well 

begun. 
On  a  battu  le  rappel  de  tous  ceux  sur  lesquels  on  croyait 

pouvoir  compter=rT\\ey  looked  up  all  those  whom 

they  thought  they  could  rely  upon. 


*  B&tonnier  de  I'ordre  des  avocats  is  the  title  still  worn  by  the  elected 
head  of  that  most  conservative  fraternity,  the  Order  of  Advocates.  The 
name  is  derived  from  the  staff  of  the  banner  of  St.  Nicholas,  the  patron- 
saint  of  the  members  of  the  Bar,  which  the  president  of  the  Order  was 
wont  to  carry  in  all  processions  and  ceremonies. 


36          FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

On  pent  dire  avec  trop  de  raison  gu'en  fait  de  colonies, 
nous  autres  Fran$ais  nous  battons  les  buissons,  pour 
laisser prendre  a  d? autres  les  oiseaux  —  It  may  be  said 
with  too  much  reason  that  in  the  matter  of  colonies, 
we  French  take  all  the  trouble  and  make  all  the 
sacrifices  for  the  benefit  of  others. 

Us  me  battentfroid=  They  give  me  the  cold  shoulder. 

Le  coeur  me  battit  tres-fort=  My  heart  went  pit-a-pat. 
SC  Battre. — Us  se  battent  les  flancs  pour  dire  ou  faire  du 
nouveau  =  They  strive  desperately  to  say  or  do  some- 
thing new. 

//  dit  qu'il  s'en  bat  Pail  [familiar]  =  He  says  he  cares 

not  a  straw  for  it 
Battu. — -J'en  ai  les  oreilles   battues  et  rebattues=\    have 

heard  that  story  over  and  over  again. 
Vous  avez  les  yeux  battus  =  You  look  tired  about  the 
eyes. 

Autant  vaut  bien  battu  que  mal  battu  =  Over  boots,  over 

shoes.     In  for  a  penny,  in  for  a  pound. 
Baume. — -Je  n!ai  point  foi  en  son  baume  —  \  have  no  con- 
fidence in  his  promises. 

Bavettes. — Elles  taillent  des  l>avetfes  =  They  gossip. 
Beau.  —  Tout  beau,  riallezpas  si  vite  =  Gently,  don't  go  so 
fast. 

Au  beau  milieu  =  In  the  very  middle. 

Vous  voila  dans  de  beaux  draps  I  =  Here  you  are  in  a 
fine  mess ! 

Elk  voit  tout  en  foa«  =  She  sees  everything  on  the 
bright  side. 

Le  temps  se  met  au  beau  =  The  weather  is  clearing  up. 

Le  barometre  est  au  beau  fixe —  ^^o.  barometer  is  at  set 
fair. 

La  belle  plume  fait  le  bel  oiseau  =  Fine  feathers  make 
fine  birds. 

Mon  petit  chien  fait  j aliment  le  beau  =  My  little  dog  has 
a  very  pretty  way  of  begging. 

Le  beau  monde  =  The  fashionable  world. 

Chaque  oiseau  trouve  son  nid  beau  =  Every  one  thinks 
his  own  geese  are  swans. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          37 

//  fera  beau  quand  Us  me  reverront  -  It  will  be  a  long 

time  before  they  see  me  again. 
Un  bel  esprit  =  A  wit. 
La  propriete  a  ete  vendue  a  beaux  deniers  comptants  = 

The  property  was  sold  for  hard  cash. 
A   beau  jeu,   beau   refour=Qne   good   turn   deserves 

another. 
Oest  la  le  beau  de  r  affaire  =  That  is  the  beauty  of  the 

thing ;  the  best  of  the  joke. 
Tout  cela  est  bel  et  bon  ;   mats  je  rien  crois  rien  —  All 

that  is  very  fine,  but  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it. 
Nos  voyageurs  ont  du  coucher  a  la  belle  etoile  —  Our 

travellers  were  compelled  to  sleep  in  the  open  air. 
II  en  fait  de  belles— He  behaves  nicely,  he  is  going  on 

at  a  nice  rate. 
J'en  entends  de  belles,  il  m'en  revient  de  belles,  sur  votre 

compte  —  I  hear  fine  tales  of  you,  nice  doings  of  yours. 
EHe  I'a  echappe  belle  =  She  had  a  narrow  escape. 
//  recommencera  de  plus  ^£//<?  =  He  will  be  at  it  again, 

worse  than  ever. 

Vous  nous  la  donnez  belle  =  You  are  imposing  on  us. 
//  mourut  de  sa  belle  mort=  He  died  a  natural  death. 
J'ai  beau  dire=\\.  is  of  no  use  for  me  to  speak. 
Ces  deux  cheres  amies  se  dcchirent  a  belles  dents  —  Those 

two  dear  friends  tear  each  other  to  pieces. 
Nous  allons  maintenant  jouer  la  belle  =  We  are  now 

going  to  play  the  odd  game,  to  play  for  the  con- 
queror. 
La  belle  demande  I  =  Why,  how  can   you  ask  such  a 

question  ? 
Bee. — -Je  veux  que  monsieur  vous  montre  votre  bee  jaune* '  = 

I  want  the  gentleman  to  show  you  that  you  are  a 

silly  goose. 

Un  blanc-bec=K  beardless  youth  ;  a  greenhorn. 
Un  bee  de  lievre  =  A  hare-lip. 
Bee  de  gaz  =  Gas-burner. 


*  Bee  jaune,  implying  inexperience  and  stupidity,  is  an  allusion  to 
young  birds  whose  beaks  are  generally  yellow,  and  who,  in  hawking 
phraseology,  are  called  des  niais. 


38          FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Bee  de  plume  =  Nib  of  a  pen. 

Bee  d'une  aiguiere  =  Lip  of  a  ewer. 

Bee  de  clarinette  —  Mouthpiece  of  a  clarinet. 

//  nous  a  tenus  long-temps  le  bee  dans  Peau  =  He  kept 

us  at  bay,  in  suspense,  for  a  long  while. 
Sachez  qu'elle  a  bee  et  ongles  —  Let  me  tell  you  that  she 

knows  how  to  defend  herself. 
Elle  a  le  bee  assez  Men  affile  =  She  has  rather  a  sharp 

tongue. 

Je  ne  pretends  pas  qu'on  me  fasse  passer  la  plume  par  le 
bec*  =  [MoLifcRE.] 

I  do  not  intend  to  be  made  a  fool  of. 
Bdcasse. —  C'est  une  becasse  =  '$>\\Q  is  a  goose. 
B^nit. —  C'est  pain  benit  que  de  faire  coffrer  un  pareil  gredin 
—  It  is   a   satisfaction   to   get    such    a    scoundrel 
locked  up. 
J'ai  bien  assez  de  son  eau  benite  de  cour  —  I  have  quite 

enough  of  his  promises. 
Berceau.— //  faut  etouffer  le  monstre  au  berceau  =  rT\\e 

monster  must  be  stifled  at  its  birth. 
Bercer. — Je  suis  berce  de  cette  histoire  -  I  have  heard  that 

story  from  my  cradle. 
//  nous  berce  de  sornettes =  He  amuses  us,  he  puts  us 

off  with  frivolous  tales. 
Berlue. — -Je  n'ai  cependant  pas  la  berlue  =  And  yet  I  am 

not  blind. 
Besogne. —  Vous  nous  avez  taille  une  jolie  besogne  =  You 

have  given  us  a  deal  of  trouble. 
Besoin. — On  connait  le  veritable  ami  dans  le  besoin  =  A. 

friend  in  need  is  a  friend  indeed. 
Qu'est-il  besoin  .  .  .  1  =  What  need  is  there  .  .  .  ? 
Au  besoin  =  If  need  be,  if  need  were. 
Bete. — Morte  la  bete,  mort  le  venin  =  Dead  dogs  cannot  bite. 


*  To  prevent  goslings  from  getting  through  hedges  into  the  en- 
closures beyond,  a  feather  is  passed  through  the  two  apertures  in  the 
upper  part  of  their  beak.  Hence  the  proverb  :  Faire  passer  la  plume 
par  le  bee.  Very  often,  a  stick  is  fastened  to  the  bird's  neck  for  the 
same  purpose. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          39 

Ilestremonte  sur  sa  bete  =  He  has  got  on  his  legs  again. 

C'est  une  bete  brute  =  He  is  a  brute. 

C'est  une  bonne  bete  -  He  is  a  good-natured  simpleton. 

Quand Jean  bete  est  mort,  il  a  laisse  bien  des  heritiers  — 
When  John  the  idiot  died,  he  left  plenty  of  posterity 
behind  him. 

Allans  !  ne  faites  done  pas  la  bete  —  Come,  don't  pre- 
tend not  to  know  what  I  mean. 

Pas  si  bete  !  =  Not  so  foolish  ;  I  know  better. 

Qui  se  fait  bete,  le  loup  le  mange  =  Confiding  people  are 
sure  to  be  imposed  upon. 

Le  concierge  est  la  bete  noire  du  Parisien  —  The  hall- 
keeper  is  the  Parisian's  special  aversion. 

Plus  fin  que  lui  n 'est  pas  bete  =  He  is  no  fool ;  It  would 

take  a  clever  man  to  do  him. 

Beurre. — Les  candidats  promettent  toujours  aux  electeurs 
plus  de  beurre  que  de  pain  —  Candidates  always 
promise  wonders  to  the  electors,  more  than  they  are 
able  or  willing  to  perform. 

J'ai  trouve  mon  gamin  les  yeux  poches  au  beurre  noir  = 
I  found  my  young  rascal  with  two  black  eyes. 

On  ne  saurait  manier  du  beurre  qu'on  ne  s'en  graisse  les 
doigts  =  K  man  cannot  touch  pitch  without  soiling 
his  fingers. 

Biais. — Pour  reussir  aupres  de  lui,  il  vous  faudra  le  prendre 
de  biais  —  To  succeed  with  him,  you  must  not  think 
of  going  straight  to  the  point ;  you  must  approach 
him  sideways. 

//  est  certains  esprits  qu  il  faut  prendre  de  biais 

Et  que  heurtant  de  front  vous  ne  gagnez  jamais  = 

[REGNARD.] 

Certain  people  should  be  approached  slanting;   if 
abruptly  encountered  face  to  face,  they  will  never 
yield. 
Bien. — Tout  va  bien  =  Everything  is  all  right. 

Taut  bien  que  mal—  So-so,  anyhow,  after  a  fashion. 

C'est  bien  fait,  vous  ne  favez  pas  vole  =  It  serves  you 
right,  you  richly  deserve  it. 

C'est  bienjini=  It  is  completely  done,  it  is  all  over. 


40       FRENCH  AND  ENGLISH  IDIOMS  AND  PROVERBS 

On  y  est  trh  bien  =  Qr\e  is  very  comfortable  there. 

Mener  une  entreprise  a  bien  —  To  bring  an  affair  to  a 
successful  issue. 

C'est  un  homme  de  bien  =  He  is  an  honest  man. 

L'amitie  d'un  tel  homme  est  un  bien  inestimable  —  The 
friendship  of  such  a  man  is  an  invaluable  boon. 

Le  bien  pub  lie -^\\Q  public  welfare. 

//  est  fort  bien  de  sa  personne  =  He  is  very  gentlemanly- 
looking. 

II est  du  dernier  bien  avec  lafainille  =  He  is  on  excellent 
terms  with  the  family. 

Comme  bien  on  pense  =  As  you  may  well  think ;  as  a 
matter  of  course. 

Si  tu  fais  du  bien,  oublie-le ;  mats  si  /'on  fen  fait, 
souviens  fen  toujours  —  If  thou  doest  any  good,  forget 
it ;  but  if  any  good  is*  done  thee,  remember  it  for 
ever. 

Grand  bien  /eurfasse/=M.uch  good  may  it  do  them. 

Le  mieux  est  fennemi  du  bien  =  Leave  well  alone. 

Tout  est  bien  qui finit  bien  =  All  is  well  that  ends  well. 

En  tout  bien  et  tout  honneur  =  With  honourable  in- 
tentions. 

Je  vous  le  disais  bien  !  =  Didn't  I  tell  you  ? 

Vous  voila  bien,  vous  autres  hommes —  That  is  just  like 
you  men. 

II y  a  bien  vingt  milles  de  Londres  a  St.  Albans  =  It  is 
full  twenty  miles  from  London  to  St.  Albans. 

Nous  voila  bien  maintenant  t  =  Here  is  a  nice  state  of 
things  for  us. 

Cela  prouve  le  bien  fonde  de  man  opinion  =  That  shows 
that  I  had  good  grounds  for  my  opinion. 

Us  ont  quelques  biens  au  s0fa7=ThQy  own  some  acres 
of  land. 

Bientot.  —  Cela  est  bientot  dit  =  That  is  easier  said  than 
done. 

Bienvenu. — On  est  toujours  bienvenu  quand  on  apporte  — 
The  bearer  of  presents  is  always  welcome. 

Bile. — II  riy  a  vraiment  pas  de  quoi  s'echauffer  la  bile=l\. 
is  really  not  worth  being  so  angry  about. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          41 

Mes  yeux  sont  trop  blesses,  et  la  cour  et  la  ville 
Ne  m'offrent  rien  qu'objets  a  iriechauffer  la  bile  — 

[MoLifcRE,  Misanthrope.}- 

My  sight  is  too  much  offended,  and  both  the  court 
and  the  town  show  me  nothing  but  what  is  calcu- 
lated to  provoke  my  anger. 
Billet. — Les  billets  de  faveur  sont  suspendus  =  The  free  list 

for  the  theatre  is  suspended. 
Billets  defairepart=  Letter  announcing  a  marriage,  a 

birth,  or,  as  is  oftener  the  case,  a  death  in  a  family. 
Le  bon  billet  qu'a  La  Chatre  !  *  =  Doesn't  he  wish  he 

may  get  it  ? 
Blanc.  —  Docteur  a  quatre  boules  blanches  =  Doctor  with 

four  white  balls  from  the  examiners. 
fat  passe  bien  des  nuits  blanches  - 1  have  had  many  a 

sleepless  night. 

//  a  gele  a  blanc =  There  has  been  a  white  frost. 
Chauffe  a  blanc=  Heated  to  a  white  heat. 
Notre  pauvre pays  fut  saigne  a  blanc=  Our  poor  country 

was  bled  freely. 
Us  Font  regarde  dans  le  blanc  des  yeux  =  They  looked 

at  him  full  in  the  face. 
//  a  mange  son  pain  blanc  le  premier  =  He  spent  the 

better  part  of  his  income  first. 
Us  se  sont  battus  a  Farme  blanche  =  They  fought  with 

swords. 

Je  vous  donne  carte  blanche  —  I  give  you  full  powers. 
//  a  mis  dans  le  blanc •=  He  hit  the  mark. 
De  but  en  blanc  =  Abruptly. 
Rouge  au  soir  et  blanc  au  matin,  c'est  la  journee  du 

pelerin  =  Evening  red  and  morning  gray  are   two 

sure  signs  of  a  fine  day. 

*  Ah  I  le  bon  billet  yu'a  La  Ch&tre !  The  Marquis  de  La  Chatre  was 
greatly  in  love  with  the  celebrated  Ninon  de  Lenclos  (1616-1706). 
Being  obliged  to  absent  himself,  he  got  her  to  sign  a  note  in  which  she 
pledged  herself  to  remain  faithful  to  him.  The  fickle  beauty,  however, 
soon  had  another  lover,  and  on  remembering  the  note,  "billet, "she 
laughingly  exclaimed:  "Ah  !  le  bon  billet  qu'a  La  Chatre!"  This 
has  become  a  proverb,  and  applies  to  any  promise  on  which  no  reliance 
can  be  placed. 


42  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 


.  —  //  a  mange  son  ble  en  herbe  =  He  spent  his  income 

before  it  was  due. 
Bloc.  —  II  faut,  dit  C.,  prendre  la  Revolution  en  bloc  —  A 
quoi  je  replique  :  Tant  pis  pour  la  Revolution  =  The 
Revolution,  says  C.,  must  be  taken  in  a  lump.  — 
To  which  I  reply  :  So  much  the  worse  for  the 
Revolution. 

Bceuf.  —  Vous  mettez  la  charrue  devant  les  bxufs  =  You  put 

the  cart  before  the  horse. 
Boheme.  —  C'est  une  maison  de  boheme  =  There  is  no  order 

in  that  house. 
Boire.*  —  Boire  a  tire-la-  Rigault  =Tv  drink  to  excess. 

Ce  nest  pas  la  mer  a  boire  =  It  is  no  very  hard  matter. 
Qui  a  bu  boira  =  Drunkards  never  get  cured.    Habit  is 

a  second  nature. 
//  boit  comme  une  eponge  =  He  drinks  like  a  fish. 

*  Boire  a  tire-la-Kigault.  The  exact  origin  of  this  popular  saying 
has  long  been  a  subject  of  controversy  between  the  most  competent 
philologists,  some  of  whom  spell  "  La  Rigault,"  while  others  contend 
for  "  Larigot."  The  former  state,  on  what  seems  to  be  respectable 
authority,  that  about  the  end  of  the  I3th  century,  Archbishop  Odin 
Rigault  presented  the  cathedral  of  Rouen,  in  celebration  of  his  appoint- 
ment, with  a  large  bell,  a  kind  of  Big  Ben,  of  such  proportions  that  the 
bell-ringers  found  it  a  very  heavy  and  thirsty  work  to  set  it  in  motion. 
Hence  the  proverbial  expression  :  To  drink  like  one  who  has  had  a  pull 
at  La  Rigault.  On  the  other  side,  Menage,  and  after  him  Littre,  sup- 
port the  version  of  Larigot,  an  old  kind  of  flute  or  small  flageolet,  very 
hard  to  manage,  or  I'arigot,  a  tall  glass  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  flute 
—  a  version  that  would  in  either  case  so  far  account  for  the  modern 
vulgar  termJZd/er.  The  connection,  however,  between  the  old  musical 
instrument  or  the  tall  flute-like  glass  of  Menage,  and  the  practice  of 
hard  drinking  does  not  seem  to  be  precise  enough,  although  the  idea 
of  flute  tallies  with  the  popular  hint  as  to  the  want  of  sobriety  of 
musicians  — 

"  Un  ban  mnsicien  ne  doit  pas  lire  sobre  ; 
On  ne  fait  fas  mentir  un  dicton.     C'est  tres  mal." 

COPPEE,  Luthier  de  Cremone. 

I  prefer  siding  with  those  who  trace  the  saying  to  Archbishop  Rigault, 
among  others  with  M.  Genin,  who,  in  fact,  contends  that  the  original 
expression  was,  "  Boire  en  tire  la  Rigault,"  i.e.,  "  En  homme  qui  tire  la 
Rigault."  Be  this  as  it  may,  I  will  conclude  this  notice  with  the  safe 
remark  of  our  old  friend,  Sir  Roger  de  Coverley,  "There  is  much  to  be 
said  on  both  sides." 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          43 

La  folie  est  faite,  il  faut  la  boire  =  As  we  have  made 

our  bed,  so  we  may  lie  in  it. 

Je  boirais  la  mer  et  ses  poissons  =  I  am  very  thirsty. 
//  a  bu  le  coup  de  letrier  =  He  took  a  glass  of  wine 

before  starting. 

Donnez-leur  a  boire  =  Give  them  some  drink. 
Je  ne  bois  qu'a  ma  soif=  I  do  not  drink  more  than  I  want. 
Elle  a  bu  la  coupe  d*  amertume  jusqu' a  la  //<?  = 

[GEORGE  SAND.] 

She  drank  the  cup  of  bitterness  to  the  dregs. 
Le  vin  est  verse,  ilfaut  le  boire  *  =  There  is  no  drawing 

back.    We  [or  you]  are  in  for  it.    The  wine  is  drawn  : 

it  must  be  drunk. 
Votre  papier  boit=  Your  paper  blots. 

Bois. — //  ne  sait plus  de  quel  bois  faire  fleche  =  He  no  longer 

knows  what  shift  to  make,  which  way  to  turn. 
Je  sais  trop  de  quel  bois  il  se  chauffe  =  \  know  but  too 

well  the  length  of  his  foot. 

Vous  verrez  de  quel  bois  nous  nous  chauffens,  lorsqdon 
s'attaque  a  ceux  qui  nous  peuvent  appartenir  = 

•[MOLIERE.] 

You  shall  see  what  metal  we  are  made  of  when  any 

of  our  belongings  are  attacked. 

//  ne  se  chauffe  pas  de  bois  vert  =  He  knows  what  he  is 
about. 


*  Le  vin  est  verse,  il  faut  le  6ozre—The  worthy  Archbishop  Trench, 
whom  it  was  my  proud  privilege  to  have  as  a  colleague  at  King's  and 
Queen's  Colleges,  London,  in  days  gone  by,  makes  the  following 
special  allusion  to  this  proverb  in  his  little  work  on  Proverbs  and  their 
Lessons  :  —  "  At  the  siege  of  Douay,  Louis  the  Fourteenth  found  himself 
with  his  suite  unexpectedly  under  a  heavy  cannonade  from  the  besieged 
city.  I  do  not  believe  that  Louis  was  deficient  in  personal  courage ; 
yet,  in  compliance  with  the  entreaties  of  most  of  those  around  him,  who 
urged  that  he  should  not  expose  so  important  a  life,  he  was  about,  in 
somewhat  unsoldierly  and  unkingly  fashion,  immediately  to  retire,  when 
M.  de  Charost,  drawing  close  to  him,  whispered  the  well-known  French 
proverb  in  his  ear  :  Tlie  wine  is  drawn  ;  it  must  be  drunk,  '  Le  vin  est 
verse,  il  faut  le  boire.'  The  king  remained  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the 
enemy  a  suitable  period,  and  it  is  said  ever  after  held  in  higher  honour 
than  before  the  counsellor  who  had  with  this  word  saved  him  from  an 
unseemly  retreat." 


44          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

On  est  vole  dans  cette  maison  comme  dans  un  bois  —  That 

house  is  a  regular  den  of  thieves. 
//  n'est  feu  que  de  gros  bois  =  Do  not  do  things  by 

halves.     There  is  nothing  like  big  logs  of  wood  to 

make  a  good  fire. 
//  n'est  bois  si  vert  qui  ne  s'allume  =  The  most  patient 

folks  will  at  last  lose  their  temper. 
//  ne  faut  pas  mettre  le  doigt  entre  le  bois  et  I'ecorce  = 

Never  interfere  between  man  and  wife. 
La  faim  chasse  le  loup  du  bois  =  Hunger  will  break 

through  stone  walls. 

J'ai  trouve  visage  de  bois  =  I  found  the  door  shut. 
Tu  es  du  bois  dont  on  fait  les  economes  =        [LE  SAGE.] 

You  were  born  to  be  a  steward. 
//  est  du  bois  dont  on  fait  les  flutes  *  =  He  is  of  a  pliable 

disposition,  easily  got  over. 

*  //  est  du  bois  dont  on  fait  les  flutes  =  This  unflattering  remark  is 
applied  to  a  weak-headed  man  who  has  no  fixed  opinion  of  his  own, 
and  is  easily  got  over,  by  allusion  to  the  common  flexible  reed  with 
which  flutes  were  primitively  roughly  made. 

Apropos  of  this  popular  saying,  M.  Rozan  reminds  us  of  an  amusing 
anecdote.  "Dubois,"  as  every  one  knows,  is  not  an  uncommon  name 
in  France,  and  at  the  time  referred  to,  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  rejoiced 
in  several  members  bearing  that  patronymic.  One  of  them,  I  may  as 
well  remark  en  passant,  was  the  famous  Liberal  Paul  Fran£ois  Dubois 
(de  la  Loire  Inferieure,  as  he  was  styled  to  distinguish  him  from  his 
several  homonyms),  whom  M.  Paul  Janet,  in  his  contribution  to  the 
remarkable  Livre  dtt  Centenaire  de  I'j&cole  Nonnale,  lately  published 
by  Messrs.  Hachette,  mentions  with  enthusiasm  as  un  esprit  cfune  haute 
valeur,  une  nature  originate  et  fnissante.  A  very  different  gentleman 
was  another  M.  Dubois,  the  subject  of  this  note,  a  thorough  Conserva- 
tive, devoted  to  the  Government  of  the  day.  An  opposition  newspaper, 
that  had  a  grudge  against  this  champion  of  authority,  never  failed  to 
single  him  out  as  the  M,  Dubois  .  .  .  dont  on  fait  des  Jliites,  The 
good-natured  M.  Dubois  long  bore  patiently  that  spiteful  innuendo  ;  but 
there  was  a  limit  even  to  his  presumed  want  of  spirit ;  he  got  tired  of 
the  unseemly  joke,  and  appealed  to  a  court  of  justice  against  the  uncalled- 
for  tail  thus  tacked  on  to  his  name.  The  case  was  clear  :  the  scurrilous 
journalist  was  condemned  to  leave  his  victim  alone.  M.  Dubois,  how- 
ever, did  not  long  enjoy  his  triumph  and  peace  of  mind.  His  tormentor 
was  soon  at  it  again.  Only,  out  of  deference  for  the  sentence  of  the 
court,  he  modified  his  assertion,  and  would  now  refer  to  the  ministerial 
deputy  as  the  M.  Dubois  .  .  .  dont  on  ne  fait  pas  des  flutes.  An 
asterisk  pointed  to  a  footnote  in  which  the  date  of  the  judgment  to  that 
effect  was  given  ! 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          45 

Boisseau.  —  Ce  riest  pas  la  quantite  des  paroles  qui  remplit 

le  boisseau  =  Words  will  not  fill  a  bushel. 
//  ne  faut  pas  mettre  la  lumiere  sous  le  boisseau  =  One 
must  not  put  one's  light  under  a  bushel. 

Boite.  —  Dans  les  petites  bdltes  sont  les  bans  onguents  —  Short 

and  sweet. 

Ces  messieurs  sont  toiijours  si  elegants  que  Von  dit  com- 
munement  quails  ont  I'  air  de  sortir  d*une  botte  —  These 
gentlemen  are  always  so  very  elegant  that  it  is 
commonly  said  they  look  as  if  they  came  out  of  a 
band-box. 

Nos  bons  domestiques  d'aujourd'hui  denoncent  comme 
une  "botte"  une  maison,  si  bien  tenue  qu'elle  soit,  oil 
le  moindre  controle  contrarie  leur  pratique  familiere 
du  tour  de  baton  =  Our  worthy  servants  of  the  present 
day  denounce  as  a  "  poky  "  place  a  house,  no  matter 
how  well  kept,  where  the  least  control  stands  in  the 
way  of  their  familiar  practice  of  illicit  profits. 

Boiteux.  —  //  ne  faut  pas  docker  devant  les  botteux  =  One 

must  not  limp  before  cripples. 

Paix  boiteuse  et  mal  assise  *  =  An  unsatisfactory  treaty 
of  peace  (such  as  was  concluded  at  St.  Germain  in 


Bombarder.  —  //  vient  d'etre  botnbarde  prefet  =  He  has  just 
been  suddenly  appointed  Prefect  (over  the  head  of 
more  deserving  servants  of  the  State). 
Elle  —  Mme.  de  Maintenon  —  y  bombarda  Mme.  d*  Ar- 
pajon  a  retonnement  de  toute  la  cour  = 

[SAINT  SIMON.] 

She  thrust  Mme.  d'Arpajon  into  the  appointment, 
(of  "  Dame  d'Atours  ")  to  the  surprise  of  the 
whole  court. 


*  The  negotiators  of  that  treaty  of  peace  concluded  at  St.  Germain 
between  Catherine  of  Medici  and  the  Huguenots  were  the  Seigneur  de 
Malassise  and  the  Baron  de  Gontaut-Biron,  who  was  lame  from  a  wound 
received  in  the  wars.  Hence  the  nickname  of  Paix  boiteuse  et  mal 
assise — lame  and  insecure — attached  to  that  treacherous  treaty,  the 
worthy  forerunner  of  the  infamous  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's  day, 
otherwise  stigmatised  as  "  Paix  mauvaise  et  manquee,  veritable  coupe- 
gorge." — Vide  DURUY'S  JJistoire  de  France,  vol.  ii.  p.  133. 


46          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Bon. — Sf  bon  vous  semble  —  If  you  think  fit. 

A  quoi  bon  ?  =  What  is,  what  would  be,  the  good  of  it  ? 
Voila  ce  qu'il  y  a  de  bon  dans  Fa/atre—Tbal  is  the 

good  part  of  the  question  ;  that's  one  consolation. 
C'est  toujours  bon  a  prendre  =  Still,  it  is  worth  taking. 
Veuillez  trouver  bon  que  je  irien  dispense  =  Pray  do  not 

think  it  amiss  that  I  should  dispense  with  it. 
Us  se  donnent  du  bon  temps  =  They  take  it  easy. 
llfautfaire  bonne  mine  a  mauvais  jeu  =  You  must  put 

a  good  face  on  adversity. 
//  a  bon  pied,  bon  ceil=  He  is  hale  and  hearty. 
C'est  un  bon  vivant  —  He  is  a  jolly  companion. 
Bon  gre,    mal  gr'e  —  Willingly   or   unwillingly,    nolens 

volens. 
Bon  avocat,  mauvais  voisin  —  The  further  from  the  law 

the  better. 
//  est  bon  que  chacun  f  accuse  ainsi  que  moi= 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

It  is  only  fair  that  every  one  should  confess  his  sins 

as  I  am  doing. 
A  bon  jour  bonne  ceuvre  =  The  better  the  day  the  better 

the  deed. 
Depuis  que  fai  eu  le  malheur  de  lui  deplaire,je  ne  suis 

pas  bon  a  jeter  aux  chiens  =  Since  I  had  the  misfor- 
tune of  displeasing  him,  he  considers  me  a  worthless 

creature. 
Dites-moi  une  bonne  fois  ce  qui  en  est  =  Tell  me  once  for 

all  how  the  case  stands. 
Est-ce  pour  tout  de  bon  ?  =  Is  it  in  earnest  ? 
A  la  bonne  heure  I  =  Well  done  !     That's  right ! 
Tenez  bon  !  =  Hold  out ;  stand  fast. 
Tout  leur  est  bon  -  Nothing  is  amiss  to  them.     All  is 

fish  that  comes  to  their  net. 
En  voila  une  bonne  I     Elle  est  bonne,  celle-la  I  \J>laisan- 

terie  understood]  =  That's  a  good  one  !     That's  a 

good  joke ! 
Vous  avez  encore  cent  francs  de  &?«  =  You  have  still  100 

francs  to  the  good. 
II  ne  fait  pas  bon  se  fier  a  lui=\\.  is  not  safe  to  trust 

him. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          47 

Que  vous  ties  bon  de  croire  cela  !  =  How  silly  you  are  to 

believe  that ! 
Vous  ties  bon  la,  vous  1  —  I  daresay  !     That's  all  very 

fine. 
//  nous  en  a  dit  de  bonnes  =  He  told  us  some  capital 

stories. 
A  quelque  chose  malheur  est  bon  =  It  is  an  ill  wind  that 

blows  good  to  no  one. 
Les  bons  comptes  font  les  bans  amis  =  Short  reckonings 

make  long  friends. 

A  bon  vin  point  d'enseigne  —  Good  wine  needs  no  bush. 
Bond. — II  faut  prendre  la  balle  au  bond^'We  must  seize 

time  by  the  forelock. 
//  s'e/anfa  d'un  bond par-dessus  la  muraille  =  He  cleared 

the  wall  at  a  bound. 
Surtout,  ne  nous  faites  pas  faux  bond=  Above  all,  don't 

disappoint  us. 
//  ne  va  qiw  par  sauts  et  par  bonds  -  He  only  goes  by 

fits  and  starts. 

Bonheur. —  Vous  nous portez  bonheur— \Q\\.  bring  us  good 

luck. 

Au  petit  bonheur  f=V\\  risk  it.     Come  what  may. 
Le  bonheur  est  a  ceux  qui  se  suffisent  a  eux-memes  = 

Happiness  is  the  lot  of  the  self-relying. 
Plus  que  noblesse,  bonheur  oblige  =  Happiness  entails 

duties,  even  more  than  nobility. 
II  joue  de  bonheur '=He  is  in  luck. 

Bonhomme. — //  continue  dialler  son  petit  bonhomme  de 

chemin  =  He  keeps  going  jog-trot. 
C'est  un  faux  bonho?nme  —  He  is  a  hypocrite. 

Bonjour. — C'est  clair  comme  bonjour=\\.  is  as  clear  as 

daylight. 

Bonne. — Une  bonne  a  tout  fatre  =  A  maid  of  all  work;  a 
general  servant. 

Bonnet. — C'est  bonnet  blanc  et  blanc  bonnet  =\\.  is  six  of 

one  and  half-a-dozen  of  the  other. 
Ce  sont  deux  tetes  dans  un  bonnet—  They  are  hand  and 
glove  together. 


48  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

//  a  pris  cela  sous  son  bonnet =  He  took  it  upon  him- 
self: He  invented  it. 
Ses  collegues  opinent  du  bonnet  =  His  colleagues  have  no 

opinion  of  their  own. 
//  avait  mis  ce  jour-la  son  bonnet  de  travers  =  He  was 

in  a  very  bad  temper  on  that  day. 
Je park  a  mon  bonnet—  [MOLI£RE.] 

I  am  speaking  to  myself. 
Us  jettent  leur  bonnet  et  se  confessent  vaincus  =  They  give 

up  all  hope  of  success. 

//  a  la  tete  pres  du  bonnet  =  He  is  very  hasty. 
II  y  a  long-temps  quails  ont  jete  leurs  bonnets  par-dcssus 

les  moulins  =  They  have  long  ago  thrown  off  all  sense 

of  propriety. 
C'est  un  des  gros  bonnets  de  fendroit  =  He  is  one  of  the 

swells  of  the  place. 
//  est  triste  comme  un  bonnet  de  nuit=  He  is  as  dull  as 

ditchwater. 

BordL—  //  a  le  coeur  sur  le  bord  des  levres  =  He  is  very 

frank. 
La  riviere  coule  a  pleins  bords  =  The  river  is  full  to 

overflowing. 
Ce  prudent  politicien  a  vire  de  bord '=That  prudent 

politician  has  changed  sides. 
//  a  jete  ses  opinions  d'antan  par-dessus  bord—  He  has 

cast  his  old  opinions  to  the  winds. 
Je  les  crois  du  meme  bord=  I  believe  they  share  the 

same  views. 

Borgne. — Un  cabaret  borgne  =  A.  low  public-house. 

Elle  jase  comme  une  pie  borgne  =  She  chatters  like  a 

magpie. 
II  a  change  son  cheval  borgne  contre  un  aveugle  =  He  has 

changed  for  the  worse. 
Au  royaume  des  aveugles,  les  borgnes  sont  rois=  In  the 

kingdom  of  the  blind  the  one-eyed  people  are  kings. 

Borne. — Pour  le  coup,  ced  passe  toutes  les  bornes  —  Now, 

this  is  going  too  far. 

//  est  plante  la  comme  une  borne  (familiar)  =  He  stands 
there  like  a  post. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          49 

SC  Borner. — Qui  ne  salt  se  borner  ne  sutjamais  ecrire  = 

[BoiLEAU,  L'Art  Poetique.~\ 
He  who  cannot  write  concisely  never  knew  how  to 

write. 
Bosse. — //  ne  re-ve  que  plates  et  bosses  -  He  is  bent  on 

mischief. 

Je  refus  douze  reaux  pour  mes  ordonnances ;  ce  qui  me 
fit  prendre  tant  de  gout  a  la  profession,  que  je  ne 
demandai plus  que  plates  et  bosses  =  [Gil  Bias.} 

For  these  prescriptions  I  received  twelve  rials,  which 
made  me  so  enamoured  of  the  profession  that  I 
thought,  the  more  mischief  the  better  sport. 

Bossoir. — C'esf  un  pilote  vigilant  qui  a  I'aeil  au  bossoir  — 
He  is  a  watchful  pilot  who  keeps  a  good  look-out. 

Bossu.* — -//  riait  comme  un  bossu  =  TA.o.  was    laughing 
heartily. 


*  Rire  comme  un  bossu  is 'an  old  popular  saying,  perhaps  hardly  justi- 
fied in  the  sense  attached  to  it ;  for  "bossus"  are  not  particularly  remark- 
able for  their  liveliness  or  disposition  to  laugh  heartily,  their  mirth  being 
too  much  inclined  to  sourness ;  a  fact  which,  as  things  go,  is  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  hunchbacks  being  emphatically  members  of  "  the  army  of 
martyrs."  They  are  seldom  kindly  treated  by  the  world  at  large  ;  and, 
whilst  most  infirmities,  such  as  lameness  or  blindness,  are  looked  upon 
with  sympathy  and  genial  pity,  the  poor  hunchback  is  too  often  exposed 
to  heartless  mockery ;  and  we  find  that  even  so  humane  a  creature  as 
the  good  Giannina  in  Coppee's  touching  story  in  the  Lnthier  de  Cremone 
can  scarcely  refrain  from  recoiling  with  disgust  from  poor  Filippo's 
deformity  : 

"  Epouser  Filippo ! — Ponrquoi  pas  ? — Un  bossu  !  " 

And  presently  the  poor,  persecuted  hunchback  himself  comes  in  to  tell 
the  tale  of  his  misery  : 

"  De  mechants  polissons 

Qui  sarmant  de  cailloux  fort  durs  et  de  tessons 

Ont  voulu  massommer  .   .   . 

Bravement  je  irfavance  au  sein  du populaire  ; 

En  demandant  pitie,  f  excite  la  coKre. 

Ah  !  Fan  ne  songe  plus  a  la  bete,  a  present. 

Lapider  un  bossu,  c'csl  bien  plus  amusant !  " 

Does  not  this  graphic  and  too  truthful  picture  give  the  lie  to  the  idea 
implied  in  the  phrase  Rire  comme  un  bossu?     For,  with  the  lot  cast 
VOL.  I.  D 


50          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

//  est  matin   comme   un   bossu  =  He   is   cunning  and 

mischievous. 

Botte. —  Une  botte  d*asperges,  de  carottes  =  A  bundle  of  as- 
paragus, of  carrots. 
Une  botte  defoin  =  K  truss  of  hay. 
//  a  du  foin  dans  ses  bottes  —  ^Q  has  feathered  his  nest. 
fousser,  porter  une  botte  a  quelqu'un  —  To  give  a  home 

thrust 
//  lui  a  porte  une  vilaine  botte  =  He  served  him  a  very 

shabby  trick. 
A  propos  de  bottes  =  With  reference  to  nothing  at  all ; 

for  no  reasonable  cause. 
Bo UC. — C'est  le   bouc  emissaire  de  la  bande=~Re   is  the 

scapegoat  of  the  gang. 
Bouche. — Cela  fait  venir  Veau  a  la  bouche  =  It  makes  one's 

mouth  water. 

Je  le  garde  pour  la  bonne  bouche  =  I  keep  it  for  the  last, 
as  a  tit-bit. 


upon  him,  how  could  a  "bossu"  be  merry,  and  addicted  to  hearty 
laughing  ? 

Much  more  correct  in  its  import  is  the  equally  well-known  expres- 
sion :  Malin  comme  tin  bossu.  For  the  poor  ill-favoured  and  ill-used 
hunchback  may  be  said  to  have  received  from  Nature  a  compensation 
for  his  bad  luck  in  a  remarkable  keenness  of  perception  and  a  pungent 
wit.  In  fact,  those  natural  faculties  have  forcibly  been  further  sharpened 
by  the  hostile  attitude  of  the  world  towards  him.  A  popular  saying 
records  the  truism  that  even  a  miserable  worm  will  turn  round  against 
an  aggressor.  The  poor  hunchback  has  been  ill-treated  by  the  world 
since  his  infancy — he  has  turned  round  against  the  world  in  self-defence. 
No  wonder,  then,  that  he  is  malin,  that  is,  sharp,  shrewd,  and — why 
not  say  it  ? — malignant  and  revengeful.  In  justice  to  those  unfortunate 
desherites,  to  borrow  a  hackneyed  term  from  the  declamatory  tirades  of 
our  ultra-radical  orators,  I  must  quote  the  following  judicious  remarks 
from  Toppfer's  Nouvelles  Genevoises : 

"Sans  cesse  en  butte  aux  attaques  du  ridicule,  ils  ramassent  I'arme 
qu'on  leur  lance,  et  la  renvoient  aiguisee  par  une  malice  vengeresse. 
C'est  dans  ce  triste  exercice  que  leur  ceil  se  forme  a  saisir  du  premier 
coup  le  cote  vulnerable  de  leur  adversaire,  et  a  y  decocher  d'une  main 
prompte  et  sure  un  trait  qui  frappe  juste  et  fort.  C'est,  en  particulier,  dans 
ce  triste  exercice  que  les  bossus  du  bas  peuple,  ceux  que  rien  ne  protege 
et  que  rien  ne  contraint,  contractent  cet  air  d'ignoble  malice,  ce  cynique 
sourire,  ce  regard  disgracieux  et  jaloux,  cet  esprit  caustique  enfin,  que 
le  proverbe  signale,  sans  ajouter  ni  faire  entendre  qu'il  n'est  que  I'arme 
d'une  legitime  defense  opposee  a  une  agression  basse  et  mechanic." 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          51 

Elle  foterait  les  morceaiix  de  la  bouche  pour  ses  enfants  = 

She  would  deprive  herself  of  necessaries   for   her 

children. 

Je  lui  aiferme  la  bouche  =  I  silenced  him. 
Cet  homme  est  fort  en  bouche  =  ^\\^.\.  man  will  out-talk 

anybody. 
Allons  I  ne  faites  done  pas  la  petite  bouche  =  Come,  don't 

pretend  not  to  like  it,  or  not  to  want  any  more, 

when  you  really  wish  for  some. 

Vous  avez  toujours  cela  a  la  bouche  —  You  are  continu- 
ally repeating  that. 

Bouche  close  I — bouche  cousue  !  =  Mum  is  the  word. 
Elle  est  restee  bouche  beante  —  She  stood  gaping. 
Pourquoi  faites-vous  ainsi  la  bouche  en  cxur  ?  =  Why  do 

you  thus  screw  up  your  mouth,  purse  up  your  lips  ? 
//  prend  sur  sa  bouche  pour  faire  face  a  cette  depense  = 

He  stints  himself  to  meet  that  expenditure. 
Us  en  ont  eu  a  bouche  que  veux-tu  =  They  had  more 

than  enough.     They  were  treated  most  liberally. 
Selon   ta   bourse  gouverne   ta   bouche  =  Cut   your  coat 

according  to  your  cloth. 

Bouchon.* — A  bon  vin  il  ne  faut  point  de  bouchon  = 
wine  needs  no  bush. 

Boudin. — L 'affaire  s'en  est  allee  en  eau  de 
undertaking  came  to  nothing. 

Bouillon. — Le  sang  sortait  a  gros  bouillons =  The   blood 

was  gushing  out  copiously. 

//  a  bu  un  bouillon  [familiar]  =  He  has  experienced  a 
serious  loss. 

Boule. — //  n'a  eu  que  des  boules  blanches  a  son  examen  = 

All  the  examiners  passed  him. 

Les  defies  nationales  ont  une  fa$on  de  faire  la  boule  de 
neige  =  National  debts  have  a  way  of  increasing  like 
snow-balls. 
J'irai  a  I'appui  de  la  boule  =  I  will  back  you. 


v  In  other  words,  A  bon  vin  point  d'enseigne.  "  Bush  "  is  in  fact  the 
equivalent  of  a  sign-board,  being  a  bough  or  bunch  fixed  at  a  public- 
house  door  to  indicate  the  sale  of  liquors. 


52          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Boulet.  =  Dans  sa  nouvelle  brochure  il  tire  a  boulets  rouges 
sur  le  gouvernement=  He  cuts  up  the  Government  in 
his  new  pamphlet. 

Bourgeois.* — Cuisine  bourgeoise  =  ¥\&m  cooking. 
Pension  bourgeoise  =  Boarding-house. 
Les  offiders  etaient  en  bourgeois  =  ^\\o,  officers  were  in 
plain  clothes. 

Bourreau. —  Cest  un  bourreau  d'argent^'^.o.  is  a  spend- 
thrift. 

Bourse. — Amijusqu'a  la  bourse  =  A  friend  whose  devotion 
stops  short  of  lending  money. 

Loger  le  diable  en  sa  bourse  t  =  To  be  penniless. 

Selon  ta  bourse  gouverne  ta  bouche  =  Regulate  your  ex- 
penses on  your  means. 

//  Fa  fait  sans  bourse  delier=  He  did  it  without  spend- 
ing any  money. 

Bout. — //  sait  tout  cela  sur  le  bout  du  doigt=TA.z  has  all 

that  at  his  fingers'  ends. 

Elle  riait  du  bout  des  dents  =She  was  laughing  on  the 
wrong  side  of  her  mouth. 


*  The  import  of  this  word  bourgeois  has  in  the  course  of  time  under- 
gone many  changes.  Thus,  after  having  long  enjoyed  the  honourable 
mediaeval  sense  of  freeman  of  a  borough,  a  technical  meaning  which  is 
to  some  extent  preserved  in  Conservative  England,  it  came  down  to 
express  a  rather  common  cast,  or  tone  of  life,  as  opposed  to  aristocratic 
— as  a  record  of  which  we  meet  with  such  phrases  as  this  : — 

"  On  y  fait  Vhomme  d?  importance, 
Et  Fan  n'est  souvent  qitun  bourgeois." 

LA  FONTAINE. 

But  now  again,  at  the  end  of  this  iQth  century,  when  the  world,  for 
better  for  worse,  is  entering  a  new  phase  under  the  magic  triad, 
"Liberty,  Equality,  Fraternity,"  the  old  lines  of  demarcation  between 
the  different  classes  of  society  are  being  considerably  modified,  and  it 
may  almost  be  said  that  only  two  classes  are  now  acknowledged,  viz., 
the  classe  bourgeoise  and  the  classe  ouvriere,  so  that  a  ' '  bourgeois  "  has 
come  to  mean  a  private  gentleman  who  stands  above  his  fellows  in 
wealth  or  education. 

t  In  olden  times  a  cross  was  commonly  engraved  on  coins ;  hence 
the  notion  that  the  Evil  Spirit  occupied  an  empty  purse,  where  there 
was  no  such  pious  emblem  to  keep  him  off. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          53 

Cest  du  bout  des  levres  qu'elle  nous  a  fait  eette  promesse 

-  She  does  not  mean  to  keep  her  promise. 
//  a  montre  le  bout  de  Foreille^^Ae.  betrayed  himself. 
//  est  artiste  jusqu'au  bout  des  onghs  —  He  is  an  artist  to 

the  tips  of  his  fingers. 
Les  pauvres  gens  ont  bien  de  la  peine  a  joindre  les  deux 

bouts =  The  poor  people  find  it  hard  to  make  both 

ends  meet. 

Au  bout  de  Faune  faut  (tnanque)  le  drap  —  [See  AUNE.] 
On  ne  sait  par  quel  bout  le  prendre  =  There  is  no  know- 
ing how  to  deal  with  him. 

Vous  rfetes  pas  au  bout  =  Your  troubles  are  not  over. 
Je  suis  a  bout=  I  am  done  for. 
Viendra-t-on  jamais  a  bout  du  Canal  de  Panama  ?  = 

Will  the  Canal  of  Panama  ever  be  finished  ? 
Au  bout  du  fosse  la  culbute  =  h.  short  life  and  a  merry 

one. 
//  tient  le  haut  bout  dans  cette  societe  =  He  holds  the 

place  of  honour,  the  upper  end  in  that  society. 
//  est  au  bout  de  son  rouleau  —  He  has  no  resources  left, 

he  is  at  his  wits'  end. 
Oest  une  economic  de  bouts  de  chandelle  =  It  is  being 

penny-wise  and  pound-foolish. 
Us  brulent  la  chandelle  par  les  deux  bouts  =  They  burn 

their  candle  at  both  ends. 
Au  bout  du  compte  =  After  all. 

Us  m'ont  pousse  a  bout=T\\&y  drove  me  to  extremities. 
Vous  aver,  mis  ma  patience  a  bout  =  You  have  exhausted 

my  patience. 
Bout  de  Fan — Service  du  bout  de  Fan  =  Anniversary 

service    at    church,    in    remembrance    of    a    dead 

person. 
S'i/  a  40  ans,  c'est  tout  le  bout  du  monde  =  He  is  barely 

40,  at  the  outside. 

D'un  bout  a  !'autre  =  From  beginning  to  end. 
//  a  tire  sur  sa  victime  a  bout  portant=  He  fired  point 

blank  at  his  victim. 
A  tout  bout  de  champ  —  At  every  turn. 
Nous  avons  eu  tout  le  temps  vent  de  bout  =  We  had  the 

wind  against  us  all  along. 


54          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Bouteille. — //  n'a  rien  vu  que  par  le  trou  d'une  bouteille  = 

He  has  seen  nothing  of  the  world. 
C'est  la  bouteille  a  I'encre  =  It  is  a  subject  of  endless 

discussion ;  There  is  no  making  anything  out  of  it. 
Boute- en -train. — C'etait  le  joyeux  boute- en -train  de  la 

pension  =  [BALZAC.] 

He  was  the  life  and  soul  of  the  boarding-house. 
Boutoir.— //  riepargne  pas  les  coups  de  boutoir  a  ses  propres 

amis  =  His  own  friends  are  not  safe  from  his  hard 

blows. 
Bouton. — On  lui  a  serre  le  bouton  =  T\\ey  put  the  screw 

on  him,  to  bring  him  up  to  the  point. 

Boutonne". — //  est  boutonne  jusqu'au  menton  = 

[MERIMEE.] 
He  is  very  close,  very  reserved. 

Braies. — //  s'en  est  tire  les  braies  nettes=He  contrived  to 

extricate  hmself. 
Braire. — Les  hommes  faibles  hurlent  avec  les  loups,  braient 

avec  les  dnes,  et  belent  avec  les  moutons  =  Weak  men 

howl  with  the  wolves,  bray  with  the  asses,  and  bleat 

with  the  sheep. 

Braise. — //  est  chaud  comme   braise  =  He   is   very   hot- 
tempered. 
//  m'a  joue  un  mauvais  tour,  mats  je  le  lui  ai  rendtt 

chaud  comme  braise  =  He  behaved  spitefully  to  me, 

but  I  gave  it  him  back  pretty  hot. 
Tomber  de  la  poele  dans  la  braise  =  To  fall  out  of  the 

frying-pan  into  the  fire. 
//  a  passe  la-dessus  comme  chat  sur  braise  =  He  would 

not  dwell  on  that  topic. 
//  I'a  donne  chaud  comme  braise  =  He  blurted  out  the 

bad  news. 
Branche. — llvaut  mieux  s'attacher  au  gros  de  farbre  qu'aux 

branches  =  Better  apply — or  attach  one's  self — to  the 

head  than  to  the  subordinates. 
11  est  comme  foiseau  sur  la  branche  =  He  knows  not 

what   the   morrow  may  bring   forth.      He   is  very 

unsettled. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          55 

Branle. — Cela  a  suffi  pour  mettre  en  branle  conjectures  et 
commentaires  =  \\.  proved  sufficient  to  set  in  motion 
all  sorts  of  surmises  and  comments. 
Un  Dumas  ou  un  Sardou  trouve  instinctivement  le  trait 
qui  met  en  branle  V imagination  de  la  foule  et  la  lui 
asservit=  [F.  SARCEY.] 

A  Dumas  or  a  Sardou  instinctively  hits  upon  the 
trait  which  stirs  up  the  imagination  of  the  crowd, 
and  actually  enslaves  it. 

Branler.  —  Tout  ce  qui  branle  ne  tombe  pas  -  Everything 
that  shakes  doesn't  fall. 

Bras. — Us  se  promenaient  bras  dessus  bras  dessous  =  They 

were  walking  arm  in  arm. 
//  est  tombe  sur  eux  a  bras  raccourci—  He  fell  upon 

them  with  all  his  might. 
Ilfrappait  a  tour  de  bras  =  He  was  hitting  as  hard  as 

he  could. 
Cette  pauvre  veuve  a  cinq  enfants  sur  les  bras  =  That 

poor  widow  has  five  children  to  support. 
Je  riai  pas  les  bras  longs  =  I  have  no  influence  whatever. 
Les  bras  m'en  sont  tombes  =  I  was  astonished. 
Us   sont  la  les  bras  croises  —  There   they   are   doing 

nothing. 

fai  les  bras  rompus  =  I  am  overwhelmed  with  fatigue. 
//  a  beaucoup  d'affaires  sur  les  bras  =  He  is  overwhelmed 

with  business. 
C'est  le  bras  droit  du  chef=  He  is  the  right  hand  of  the 

chief. 
Us  lui  donnent  du  milord  gros  comme  le  bras  =  They 

affect  to  "  my  lord  "  him  profusely. 
Je  Vai  saisi  a  bras  le  corps  =  I  seized  him  round  the 

waist. 
//  ne  vit  que  de  ses  bras  =  He  lives  by  the  labour  of  his 

hands. 
Si  on  lui  en  donne  long  comme  le  doigt,  il  en  prend  long 

comme  le  bras  —  If  you  give  him  an  inch,  he'll  take 

an  ell. 
Selon  le  bras  fais  la  saignee  —  Proportion  the  claims  to 

the  means. 


56          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Dans  les  pays  neufs,  les  bras  font  prime  —  In  new 
countries,  labourers  are  at  a  premium. 

On  I'a  applaudi  a  tour  de  bras=~Re  was  applauded 
vigorously. 

Les  bons  bras  font  les  bonnes  lames  =  Any  weapon  will 
prove  effective  when  bravely  handled. 

Brebis.—  Faire  un  repas  de  brebis  =  To  eat  without  drinking. 
A  brebis  tondue  Dieu  mesure  le  vent  =  God  tempers  the 

wind  to  the  shorn  lamb. 

Qui  se  fait  brebis,  le  loup  le  mange  =  Daub  yourself  with 
honey,  and  you'll  be  covered  with  flies. 

"Where'er  ye  shed  honey,  the  buzzing  flies  will  crowd." 

[MACAULAY,  Virginia.'] 

Brebis  qui  bele  perd  sa  goulee  =  Great  talkers  are  seldom 
active  doers.  The  ass  that  brays  most,  eats  least. 

Brebis  galense  =  Black  sheep. 

//  suffit  d'une  brebis  galeuse  pour  infecter  tout  un  trou- 
peau  =  One  scabbed  sheep  will  taint  the  whole  flock. 

Folk  est  la  brebis  qui  au  loup  se  confesse  =  Be  careful  in 
the  choice  of  your  confidants. 

Brebis  comptees,  le  loup  les  mange  =  Excessive  precau- 
tions do  not  secure  us  from  danger.  Don't  reckon 
your  chickens  before  they  are  hatched. 

Bredouille. — II  est  alle  a  la  chasse:  ilest  revenu  bredouille  = 
He  went  out  shooting ;  he  came  back  just  as  he  went. 

Bref. — Bref=  In  short. 

11  observe  les  longues  et  les  breves  =  He  is  very  punctilious. 

Breloque.* — Us  battent  la  breloque  [or,  la  berloque\  =  They 
talk  at  random. 


*  Battre  la  breloque,  figuratively  used  to  express  "  talking  nonsense," 
is  properly,  "To  beat  the  drum  in  an  irregular,  broken  manner." 
Breloque,  according  to  Genin,  is  derived  in  its  proper  sense  from  the 
Latin  belluga,  a  small  fruit.  Hence  the  nickname  of  breloque  applied 
to  anything  small  and  meagre.  Soldiers  thus  would  say :  On  bat  la 
breloque,  meaning,  We  are  called  to  go  and  partake  of  our  small  pit- 
tance, just  in  the  same  spirit  as  hungry  schoolboys  would  say  :  Let  us 
go  and  have  our  beakful  of  food.  Then,  to  pass  on  to  the  figurative 
sense,  battre  la  breloque  would  have  come  to  apply  to  the  talk  of  silly 
people,  whose  words  carry  no  more  sound  than  the  noise  of  a  drum. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          57 

Bride. — //  fait  bon  tenir  son  cheval  par  la  bride  =  It  is 

always  well  to  act  cautiously. 
//  faut  aller  bride  en  main  =  One  must  be  moderate 

and  regulate  his  mode  of  life  by  his  means. 
//  est  aise  d1  aller  a  pied  quand  on  tient  son  cheval  par 

la  bride  -  It  is  easy  to  go  afoot  when  one  leads  one's 

horse  by  the  bridle. 

On  lui  tient  la  bride  haute  =  He  is  kept  under  restraint. 
On  lui  lache  trap  la  bride  =  They  allow  him  too  much 

liberty. 
On  lui  met  la  bride  sur  le  cou  —  They  let  him  do  what 

he  likes. 

//  a  plus  besoin  de  bride  que  d'eperon  =  He  is  an  impe- 
tuous man  who  stands  more  in  need  of  being  checked 

than  of  being  urged  on. 
Ne  craignez  rien,  je  le  tiendrai  en  bride  =  Don't  fear,  I 

shall  hold  him  tight. 
A  cheval  donn'e  on  ne  regarde  pas  la  bride  =  One  must 

not  look  a  gift-horse  in  the  mouth. 
Courir  a  toute  bride — a  bride  abattue  =  TQ  run  (or  ride) 

at  full  speed. 
Briller. — Tout  ce  qui  brille  rf est  pas  or  =  All  is  not  gold 

that  glitters. 

Brin. — //  n'y  en  a  brin  =  There  is  not  a  trace  of  the  thing. 
C'est  un  beau   brin   d'homme  =  He  is  a  tall,   well-set 

youth. 

Un  brin  defil=  A  bit  of  thread. 
Pas  un  brin  de  feu  —  Not  a  bit  of  fire. 
Brio. — La  piece  a  ete  enlevee  avec  infiniment  de  verve  et  de 

brio  =  The  play  was  acted  with  a  marvellous  amount 

of  spirit  and  dash. 
Brise'es. — A  marche  sur  les  brisees  de  B  =  A  follows  in  B's 

footsteps. 
Je  ne  voudrais  pas  aller  sur  ses  brisees  -  I  would  never 

oppose  him. 
Au  bout  de  ce  temps  je  reparus  a  la  cour,  et  repris  mes 

premieres  brisees  =  [Gil  Bias.] 

At  the  end  of  that  time  I  went  back  to  court,  and 
resumed  my  former  habits. 


58          FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Briser. — Brisons  la,  filvous  plait = 

Let  us  drop  this  subject,  please. 

Brocher. —  Vous  avez  broch'e votre devoir  aujourd)hui=Yovi 
have  bungled  over  your  exercise  to-day. 

Brochette. — Cet  enfant  a  ete  eleve  a  la  brochette  =  That 
child  has  been  brought  up  with  the  most  tender 
care. 

Broder. — //  brode  bien  =  ~H.e,  romances  well.  He  shoots 
with  a  long  bow. 

Broncher. — //  n'est  si  ban  cheval  qui  ne  bronche=\\.  is  a 

good  horse  that  never  stumbles. 

C'est  un  homme  qui  ne  bronchejamais  =  He  is  a  steadfast 
man  who  never  flinches. 

Brouiller. — Les  cartes  sont  brouillees  entre  eux  =  They  have 

fallen  out. 
Elle  fait  de  son  mieux  pour  brouiller  les  cartes  =  She 

does  her  best  to  embroil  matters. 
//  est  brouille   avec  la  finance  =  He   is   hard   up  for 

cash. 
//  a  toujours  ete  brouille  avec  les  chijfres,  et  moi  avec  les 

noms  propres  —  He  always  was  at  sea  with  figures, 

and  I  never  could  recollect  proper  names. 

se  Brouiller. — //  s'est  brouille  avec  la  justice  =  He  got  into 

trouble  with  the  law. 
//  s'est  brouille  avec  sa  famille  =  He  quarrelled  with  his 

family. 

Voila  le  temps  qui  se  brouille  =  The  weather  is  getting 
overcast. 

Brouillon. — Son  temperament  brouillon  a  repris  le  dessus  = 
His  meddling  disposition  has  got  uppermost. 

Brouter. — Ou  la  chh're  est  attachee,  il  faut  qu'elle  broute  = 
Where  the  goat  is  tied,  there  she  must  browse.  One 
must  submit  to  circumstances. 

Lherbe  sera  bien  courte  s'il  ne  trouve  de  quoi  brouter  = 
The  grass  must  be  very  short  if  he  cannot  get  a  bite. 
He  can  live  on  very  little. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          59 

Broyer. — Broyer  du  notr  =  rTo  be  in  a  brown  study. 

Depuis  Leopardi  et  Schopenhauer  personne  n'a  broye 
autant  de  noir=  No  one,  since  Leopardi  and  Scho- 
penhauer, ever  indulged  in  such  gloomy  fancies. 
Bruit.* — Beaucoup  de  bruit,  peu  de  besogne  =  Great   cry, 
little  wool. 

Beaucoiip  de  bruit  pour  rien  =  Much  ado  about  nothing. 

L? affaire  fait  du  &rutt=The  affair  is  making  a  great 
noise. 

Le  bruit  court  que  .  .  .  =  It  is  reported  that  .  .  . 

//  court  un  bruit  sourd=  It  is  whispered  about. 

II  fait  plus  de  bruit  que  de  besogne  =  He  is  more  fussy 
than  industrious. 

Un  bruit  assez  etrange  est  venu  jusqrf  a  mot  — 

[RACINE,  Ipkigenie.'] 
A  rather  strange  rumour  has  reached  me. 

Qui  a  bruit  de  se  lever  tard  a  beau  se  lever  matin  =  It  is 
hard  to  fight  against  prejudice. 

Qui  a  bruit  de  se  lever  matin  peut  dormir  jusqd  au  soir 
=  A  good  reputation  covers  an  infinity  of  sins. 

Le  Men  ne  fait  jamais  de  bruit,  et  le  bruit  ne  fait  jamais 
de  bien  =  T\\Q  good  never  does  any  noise,  and  the 
noise  never  does  any  good. 

Le  bruit  est  si  fort,  qu'  on  rientend  pas  Dieu  tonner= 
The  noise  is  so  great,  one  cannot  hear  God  thunder. 
Bruler. — Nous  avons  brule  nos  vaisseaux  —  We  do  not  in- 
tend to  draw  back.     We  mean  to  fight  desperately. 

II  s1  est  brule  la  cervelle=  He  blew  his  brains  out. 

Nous  brulions  les  etafies  =  We  passed  rapidly  through 
the  halting-places  without  stopping. 

Les  pieds  lui  brulent  departir=^&  is  upon  thorns  to  go. 


*  Apropos  of  this  proverb,  I  once  heard  a  story  which  is  worth 
recording.  A  few  generations  back,  there  was  at  the  head  of  a  great 
English  school  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Wool,  who  was  of  very 
small  stature,  but  had  apparently  a  heavy  hand,  and  anyhow  had  a  way 
of  thrashing  the  boys  unmercifully.  A  wag  who  possibly  had  felt 
keenly  the  force  of  what  he  wrote,  chalked  the  popular  saying,  with  a 
slight  inversion  :  Little  wool  and  much  cry,  over  the  door  of  the  school's 
flogging  room.  I  suspect  that  the  Peu  de  besogne  of  the  French  equi- 
valent would  hardly  apply  in  such  a  case. 


60          FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Nous  lui  avons  brule  la  politesse  =  ^N&  passed  by  him 
without  saluting — or  through  it,  without  stopping. 

J'en  viendrai  a  bout,  ou  fy  brulerai  mes  livres  =  I  will 
bring  it  about,  or  I  shall  forfeit  my  name. 

J*y  brulerai  mes  livres,  ou  je  romprai  ce  manage  — 

[MOLlfiRE.] 

I  will  break  off  that  match,  no  matter  what  it  may 

cost  me. 

Nous  ft  avons  jamais  brule  d'encens  sur  Pautel  de  la 
popularite =  [EMILE  DE  GIRARDIN.] 

We  have  never  flattered  for  the  sake  of  popularity. 
//  brulait  le  pave=~Re  was  riding  very  fast — rattling 

along. 
Le  general  s'est  empare  de  la  place  forte  sans  bruler  une 

amorce  =  The  general  made  himself  master  of  the 

stronghold  without  firing  a  single  shot. 
On  a  tire  sur  lui  a  brule-pourpoint =  He  was  fired  at 

quite  close. 

Le  torchon  brule  =  Discord  prevails  in  the  household. 
Le  rot  brule — La  chandelle  brule  =  Time  flies. 
Graissez  les  bottes  d'un  vilain,  il  dira  que  vous  les  lui 

brulez  =  There  are  some  people  whom  it  is  dangerous 

to  oblige. 

Brusquer. — -Je  resolus  de  brusquer  Vaventure  =  \  resolved 
to  carry  on  the  adventure  with  a  high  hand. 

Buche. —  Cet  homme  ne  se  remue  pas  plus  qu*  une  buche  = 
That  man  stirs  no  more  than  a  log  of  wood. 

Bllisson. — //  n'y  a  si  petit  buisson  qui  ne  porte  ombre  = 
Scorn  not  the  assistance  or  the  spite  of  the  most 
insignificant  people. 
//  a  battu  les  buissons :  un  autre  a  pris  les  oisillons  = 

He  beat  the  bush  :  another  caught  the  hare. 
Les  cambrioleurs  ont  heureusement  fait  buisson  creux  — 

The  burglars  luckily  got  hold  of  nothing. 
J'ai  laisse  de  ma  laine  a  tous  les  buissons  du  chemin  = 

[CHATEAUBRIAND.] 

At  every  stage  through  life  I  have  left  an  illusion 
behind  me. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          6 1 

Buissonnier. — IlfaitsouiientFecole  buissonniere  =  He  often 

plays  truant. 
Faire  de  la  vie  une  ecole  buissonniere  = 

[GEORGES  SAND.] 
To  lead  a  roving  life. 

Bureau. — Le  Bureau  du  Senat,  de  la  Chambre  des  Deputes 
=  The  President,  Vice- Presidents,  Secretaries,  and 
Questors  of  the  Senate  and  of  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies. 

Bureau  parlementaire  =  Committee. 
Tenir  bureau  d1  esprit  (ironical)  =  To  receive  company 

to  discuss  literary  matters. 
On  Vaccusait  de  tenir  bureau  de  bel-esprit= 

[SAINTE-BEUVE.] 

She  was  accused  of  gathering  around  her  the  wits  of 

the  day. 

Payer  a  bureau  ouvert^To  pay  on  demand. 
Fournitures  de  bureau  =  Stationery. 
Ouverture  des  bureaux  =  Opening  of  the  doors. 
Bureau  de  placement  —  Register  office. 

Buridan.* — //  en  est  de  luicomme  de  fane  de  Buridan  =  He 
is  on  the  horns  of  a  dilemma,  and  cannot  make  up 
his  mind  which  way  to  decide. 

Buse. — On  ne  saurait  faire  d'une  buse  tm  epervier=K  fool 
is  hopeless.  You  can't  make  a  silk  purse  out  of 
a  sow's  ear. 


*  Jean  Buridan  was  a  dialectician  of  the  I4th  century  who  owes  it 
to  a  donkey  to  have  been  saved  from  utter  oblivion.  He  argued  that  if 
animals  were  not  endowed  with  free-will,  nature  would  be  at  fault,  as 
they  would  not  even  have  the  means  of  securing  their  sustenance.  In 
support  of  his  argument,  he  would  take  a  donkey  equally  hungry  and 
thirsty,  and  place  him  between  a  peck  of  oats  on  one  side  and  a  pail 
of  water  on  the  other,  both  at  equal  distances  from  him  and  equally 
tempting,  and  then  he  would  ask:  What  will  this  donkey  do?  He 
will  either  remain  motionless,  like  a  body  mechanically  balanced 
between  two  contrary  and  perfectly  equal  forces,  and  then  he  will  die  ; 
or  he  will  turn  to  one  side  or  the  other,  and  will  thereby  show  his  free- 
will. This  captious  dilemma  proved  so  striking  that  it  has  made  its 
way  through  successive  generations,  and  nowadays  if  a  man  hesitates 


62  FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

But. — //  est  arrive  le  premier  au  but  —  He  was  the  first 

to  reach  the  goal. 

//  m'a  dit  cela  de  but  en  blanc  =  He  told  me  that  abruptly. 
Butte. — -11  y  a  trap  long-temps  que  je  suis  en  butte  a  sa 

mauvaise  humeur=\  have  been  too  long  the  victim 

of  his  bad  temper. 

0. 

Ca. —  Voyez  done  les  airs  que  fa  se  donne :  fa  ne  se  refuse 
rien  [contemptuously]  =  Just  see  what  airs  they  give 
themselves  :  they  deny  themselves  nothing. 
C'est  bien  fa  =  That's  just  it. 

C'est  toujours  fa  =  It  is  so  much  secured,  so  much  to 
the  good. 

Or  fa,  sire  Gregoire, 

Que  gagnez-vous  par  an  ?  = 

[LA  FONTAINK.] 

Well  now,  Master  Gregory,  how  much  do  you  make 
a  year  ? 

Cabinet. — //  a  un  tres  bon  cabinet '=  He  has  a  very  good 

practice. 
Uhomme  de  cabinet  a  des  plaisirs  qui  surpassent  toutes 

les  joies  du  monde — The  man  of  literary  pursuits,  of 

studious  habits,  has  pleasures  that  surpass  all  the 

joys  in  the  world. 
Une  intrigue  de  cabinet—  A  ministerial  intrigue. 


between  two  objects,  or  two  positions  having  a  like  attraction  in  his 
eyes,  he  is  at  once  compared  with  Buridan's  donkey. 

"  Connaissez-vous  cette  histoire  frivole 
D'un  certain  ane  illustre  dans  1'ecole  ? 
Dans  1'ecurie  on  vint  lui  presenter 
Pour  son  diner  deux  mesures  egales 
De  meme  force,  a  pareils  intervalles  ; 
Des  deux  cotes  1'ane  se  vit  tenter 
Egalement,  et  dressant  les  oreilles, 
Juste  au  milieu  des  deux  formes  pareilles, 
De  1'equilibre  accomplissant  les  lois, 
Mourut  de  faim,  de  peur  de  faire  un  choix." 

VOLTAIRE. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          63 

Caboche. — //  a  une  bonne  caboche  [familiar]  —  He  is  a  long- 
headed fellow. 
Voyez-vous,  vous  avez  la  caboche  un  peu  dure  — 

[MOLlfeRE.] 

Let  me  tell  you,  your  head  is  rather  hard. 
SC  Cacher. — //  ne  s'en  cache  pas  -  He  makes  no  mystery 

of  it. 
Cadeau. — Les  petits  cadeaux  entretiennent  Famitie  =  Small 

presents  keep  up  friendship. 
Cadet. — C'est  le  cadet  de  mes  soucis  [familiar]  =  It  is  the 

least- — i.e.,  the  youngest  born — of  my  thoughts. 
C'esf  un  cadet  de  haut  appetit [=He  is  an  extravagant 

youth. 
Cadre. — 11  ne  figure  plus  sur  les  cadres  [military]  =  He  is 

no  longer  on  the  effective  list. 
Cage. — La  belle  cage  ne  nourrit  pas  roiseau  =  There  may 

be  much  discomfort  under  fine  appearances. 
//  vant  mieux  etre  oiseau  de  campagne  qdoiseau  de  cage 

=  Freedom  is  the  greatest  of  blessings. 
//  a  ete  mis  en  cage  =  He  was  locked  up. 
La  cage  d'un  escalier =  The  well  of  a  staircase. 
Cahier.—  Cette  compagnie  viole  ottvertement  son  cahier  des 
charges  =  This  company  sets  openly  at  defiance  the 
clauses  of  her  concession. 
Cahin-Caha. — Ma  sante  va  cahin-caha  \qud  hinc,  qua  hac, 

que  d'ici,  que  de  la\  =  I  am  only  so-so. 
11  a  fait  ce  que  je  lui  demandais,  mats,  cahin-caha  =  He 

complied  with  my  request,  but  reluctantly. 
Caille. — Elle  a  chaud  comme  une  petite  caille  =  She  is  as 

warm  as  a  toast. 

Caisse. — Passez  a  la  caisse  =  Go  to  the  pay-office. 
Un  garfon  de  caisse  =  A  collecting  clerk. 
Tenir  la  caisse  =  To  keep  the  cash  account. 
C'esf  elle  qui  tient  la  caisse  =  She  holds  the  purse- 
strings. 

Caisse  d'epargne  =  Savings  bank. 
Caisse  militaire  =  Military  chest. 
11  sait  battre  la  grosse  caisse  =  He  knows  how  to  puff. 


64          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Calculer. — Le  plan  etait  bien  calcule  =  The  plan  was  well 

concocted. 
Calendes. — -//  vous  renverra  aux  Calendes  grecques =  He 

will  put  you  off  till  Doomsday. 
Calice. — //  a  vide  le  calice  jusqu'a  la  //V=He  drank  the 

cup  of  bitterness  to  the  dregs. 

Califourchon.  —  Chacun  a  son  califourchon,  dit  Sterne  = 
Every  one  is  astride  on  his  hobby,  says  Sterne. 

Calme. — Ca/mefltat=~Dea.d  calm. 

Calotte.  —  On  ne  trouverait  pas  son  pareil  sous  la  calotte 
des  deux  —  You  could  not  match  him  under  the 
canopy  of  heaven. 

Camaraderie. — Par  esprit  de  camaraderie  =  Out  of  party 
spirit. 

Camelot.* — //  ressemble  au  camelot,  il  a  pris  son  pli—  He 
is  incorrigible. 

Camouflet.t — •//  a  re$u  un  camouflet  =~K.&  received  an 
affront. 


*  Camelot,  a  woollen  stuff,  was  originally  made  of  camel's  hair,  but 
is  now  very  carefully  manufactured  out  of  a  superior  goat's  hair.  The 
fault  of  the  primitive  material  was  to  produce  folds  which  could  not  be 
removed.  Hence  the  proverb  implying  incorrigibility.  As  to  the 
unlovely  camelots  of  our  large  cities,  those  itinerant  vendors  of  news- 
papers and  other  commodities,  M.  Francisque  Michel  tells  us  that  their 
name  is  connected  with  camel,  chameau,  on  account  of  the  bulky  load 
which  "they  often  carry  on  their  back,  and  which  makes  them  appear 
hunchbacked."  This  explanation,  I  must  say,  can  scarcely  apply  in 
the  present  time  to  the  noisy  individuals  who  make  our  most  fashion- 
able thoroughfares  hideous  with  their  distracting  shouts. 

t  Camouflet  (Latin  calamo  flatus]  meant  originally  thick  smoke 
puffed  in  the  face  of  a  person  asleep  with  a  cornet  of  lighted  paper, 
especially  in  Shrove-tide.  Eventually  used  figuratively,  with  the  mean- 
ing of  mortification. 

I  cannot  resist  the  temptation  of  quoting  here  the  ipsissima  verba  of 
a  typical  passage  in  Victor  Hugo's  Miserable!  apropos  of  this  word 
"camouflet."  "Qu'est-ce  que  recevoir  un  soufflet?  La  metaphore 
banale  repond  :  C'est  voir  trente-six  chandelles.  Ici  1'argot  intervient, 
et  repond  :  Chandelle,  camoufle.  Sur  ce,  le  langage  usuel  donne  au 
soufflet  pour  synonyme  camouflet.  Ainsi,  par  une  sorte  de  penetration 
de  bas  en  haut,  la  metaphore,  cette  trajectoire  incalculable,  aidant, 
1'argot  monte  de  la  caverne  a  1'academie  ;  et  Poulailler  disant :  f'allume 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          65 


Camp.  —  Us  sont  toujours  en  camp  vo/ant  =  They  cannot  get 

settled.     They  are  always  on  the  wing. 
L'alarme  est  au  camp  -  They  are  in  a  great  fright. 

Oh  !  dit-il  .  .  . 
.  .  .  Je  mets  I'alarme  au  camp  - 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 
O  !  said  he  ...  I  spread  terror. 

Campagrie.  —  Partir  a  la  campagne  =  To   go   into  the 

country. 

Partir  en  campagne  =  To  set  out  campaigning. 
Le  Chef  de  la  Police  a  mis  ses  plus  fins  limiers  en  cam- 

pagne -  The  head  of  the  police  has  sent  out   his 

shrewdest  agents  in  all  directions. 
I'.n  rase  campagne  =  In  the  open,  unsheltered  country. 
Vous  battez  la  campagne  =  You  stray  from  the  question. 

You  beat  about  the  bush. 
Quel  esprit  ne  bat  la  campagne  ?  =          [LA  FONTAINE  ] 

Where  is  the  man  whose  mind  never  wanders  ? 
Camus.  —  11  voulait  faire  le  capable,   on    Fa  rendu   bien 

camus  =  [MONTAIGNE.] 

He  wanted  to  show  off.     He  was  soon  made  to  look 

foolish. 
Voila  des  harangueurs  bien  camus=~H.ere  are  speechi- 

fiers  sadly  crestfallen. 
Canard.*  —  C'esf  nn  canard,  auquel  le  bon  sens  public  n'a 

pas  tarde  a  couper  les  ailes  =  It  is  a  false  report,  an 

idle  story,  which  was  speedily  discountenanced  by 

the  public  common-sense. 

ma  camoufle,  fait  ecrire  a  Voltaire  :  Lcingleviel  la  Beaumelle  merite  cen. 
camouflets. 

"  Une  fouille  dans  1'argot,  c'est  la  decouverte  a  chaque  pas.  L'etude 
et  1'approfondissement  de  cet  etrange  idiome  menent  au  mysterieux 
point  d'intersection  de  la  societe  reguliere  avec  la  societe  maudite."  — 
VICTOR  HUGO,  Les  Miserable!,  vii. 

*  This  word  Canard,  so  frequently  met  with  [because  it  expresses  a 
very  frequent  occurrence],  is  applied  to  a  false  report  inserted  in  a  news- 
paper, and  of  course  this  mendacious  bird  is  chiefly  hatched  when 
newspapers  are  short  of  copy,  that  is,  when  the  legislative  assemblies 
of  the  civilised  world  are  closed,  and  courts  of  law  happen  to  be  mostly 
closed  also  for  the  vacation.  I  have  looked  in  all  possible  directions 
for  an  explanation  of  this  widely  spread  and  very  old  expression,  as 

VOL.  I.  E 


66          FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Cane.* — Faire  la  cane  [or,  more  commonly  now,  caponner\ 

=  To  show  the  white  feather. 

Quand  les  canes  vont  aux  champs,  la  premiere  va 
devant  [ironical]  =  Why,  you  don't  say  so?  How 
clever  of  you  to  have  found  that  out ! 

CanoSSE.t — 11  nest  pas  alle  a  Canossa  =  He — a  King 
or  Emperor — did  not  humble  himself  before  the 
ecclesiastical  potentate. 

Cap.  | — Toutes  les  nations  Garment  de  pied  en  cap  sous 
rinfluence  de  la  sainte  horreur  que  leur  inspire  la 
guerre  =  A\\  the  nations  are  arming  cap-a-pie  under 
the  sense  of  holy  horror  which  they  feel  for  war. 

Capable. — Ne  vousfiezpas  a  cet  homme:  il  est  capable  de  tout 
=  Do  not  trust  that  man :  he  is  one  to  stick  at  nothing. 

Cape. — On  disait  autrefois  d'un  gentilhomme  pauvre  qu'il 
navait  que  la  cape  et  Pepee  =  It  was  formerly  said  of 
a  titled  gentleman  without  fortune  that  he  had 
nothing  but  the  cape  (of  his  cloak)  and  his  sword. 

applied  to  an  impossible  story,  or  a  bold  imposition  on  public  credulity, 
without  finding  a  satisfactorily  authenticated  account  of  its  origin. 

The  word  "Canard,"  in  that  peculiar  sense,  is  traced  by  Oudin,  on 
the  older  authority  of  Cotgrave,  to  the  old  expressions,  Vendre  ou 
donner  canard  a  moilie,  meaning  to  cheat,  to  deceive,  to  make  believe. 

In  a  ballet  of  1612,  we  find  the  following  lines — 

"  Parguieu  !  vous  serez  mis  en  cage, 
Vous  etes  un  bailleur  de  canars, 
J'avons  fait  changer  de  langage 
Au  moins  a  d'aussi  fins  renars." 

Later  on,  the  expressions  Donner  des  canards  and  Donneur  de  canards 
were  used  without  the  addition  of  a  moitie. 

*  Faire  la  cane  is,  properly,  to  be  frightened  without  cause,  like  the 
duck  who  bobs  down  in  the  water  at  the  slightest  noise. 

t  This  phrase,  Alter  a  Canossa,  which  is  very  expressive,  although, 
of  course,  of  very  limited  application,  as  it  can  hardly  refer  to  any  but 
a  crowned  head,  is  an  allusion  to  the  degrading  penance  submitted  to 
by  the  Emperor  Henry  IV.  of  Germany,  in  deference  to  his  great 
enemy  Gregory  VII.  (Hildebrand),  then  staying  at  Canossa,  a  castle  in 
Modena,  which  was  the  residence  of  the  Countess  Matilda.  Henry 
was  exposed  for  several  days  to  the  inclemency  of  winter,  January  1077, 
till  it  pleased  the  Pope  to  admit  him  into  his  presence. 

J  Cap  a  pied  was  also  used  in  olden  times,  and  it  occasionally  occurs 
in  Montaigne's  Essays.  Hence  the  English  version,  Cap-a-pie. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          67 

Elk  riait  sous  cape  -  She  was  laughing  in  her  sleeve. 
Et  vous  menez  sous  cape  un  train  que  je  hais  fort= 

[MOLIERE,  Tartufe.~\ 

And  you  lead  on  the  sly  a  life  which  I  detest. 
Une  piece,  un  roman  de  cape  et  d'epee  =  A  melodramatic 

play  or  tale,  after  the  Spanish  fashion. 

Capot. —  Vous  allez  faire  pic,  repic  et  capot  tout  ce  qu'il  y  a 
de  galant  dans  Paris  = 

[MOLIERE,  Les  Predeuses  Ridicules.'} 
You  are  going  to  nonplus  all  the  nicest  people  in 

Paris. 

Kile  est  demeuree  capot  =^>\\&  remained  quite  confused. 
Caque. — La  caque  sent  toujours  le  hareng=Wha.t  is  bred 

in  the  bone  will  never  come  out  of  the  flesh. 
Us  sont  serres  comme  des  harengs  en  caque  =  They  are 

squeezed  as  flat  as  pancakes. 
Car. —  Voila  Men  des  si,  des  mats  et  des  cars  =  What  a  number 

of  ifs,  of  buts,  and  wherefores  ! 
Caractere. — H  a  montre  beaucoup  de  caractere  =  He  showed 

himself  a  man  of  spirit. 
Je  riavais pas  de  caractere  pour  agir  dans  Fesphe  =  I  had 

no  authority  to  act  upon  in  that  case. 
//  a  le  caractere  bien  fait=  He  is  good-tempered. 
Diseur  de  bans  mots,  mauvais  caractere  —         [PASCAL.] 

A  jester  has  often  a  bad  temper. 

Carat. — C'est  un  sot  a  vingt-quatre  carats =  He  is  a  com- 
plete fool. 
Careme. — Cela  vient  comme  maree  en  careme  =  It  comes  in 

the  very  nick  of  time,  most  seasonably. 
Cela  arrive  comme  Mars  en  carttme  =  That  comes  regu- 
larly.    It  is  sure  to  come. 
Precher  sept  ans  pour  un  careme  =  To  keep  repeating 

the  same  thing  to  no  purpose. 
Une  face  de  careme  —  A  wan  countenance. 
En  caresme  est  de  saison 
La  maree  et  le  sermon  ; 
Se  faire  en  ce  temps  chaircuitier  \charcutier\ 
On  n'y  profite  d'un  denier  = 
The  fish-bringing  tide  and  the  sermon  are  seasonable 


68          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

in  Lent ;  to  establish  one's  self  as  a  pork-butcher 
at  that  time  is  to  make  not  a  penny's  profit. 

Caresser.  —  Us   caressent  son   orgueil  -  They   flatter   his 

pride. 
//  caresse  des  reves  ambitieux  =  He  indulges  in  ambitious 

dreams. 
11  y  a  long-temps  gu'il  caresse  cet  espoir  =  He  has  long 

been  cherishing  that  hope. 
Carotte.— //  nfa  tire  une  carotte  [familiar]  =  He  cunningly 

extorted  money  from  me. 
Carpe.  —  Vous  baillez  comme  une  carpe  =  You  yawn  your 

head  off. 

Muet  comme  une  carpe  -  As  dumb  as  a  fish. 
Faire  la  carpe  pamee  =  To  sham  fainting. 

Carre*. — C'esf  une  tete  carree  =  He  is  an  obstinate  fellow. 
Une  partie  carree  —  A  party  composed  of  four  men  and 

four  women. 
Un  carre  d'asperges  =  A  bed  of  asparagus. 

Carreau. — //  est  reste  sur  le  carreau  =  He  was  killed  on 

the  spot. 
Carrdment. — -Je  le  lui  at  dit  carrement=\  told  him  so 

bluntly. 

Carrosse.* — Us  roulent  maintenant  carrosse  =  They  now 

keep  their  carriage. 

C'esf  un  cheval  de  carrosse  =  He  is  a  coarse,  brutal 
man. 

Carte. — C'esf  a  vous  a  donner  les  cartes  =  \t  is  your  deal. 
Avez-vous  battu  les  cartes  ?  =  Did  you  shuffle  the  cards  ? 
//  connait  le  dessous  des  cartes  =  He  knows  the  ins  and 

outs  of  the  thing. 
C'esf  elle  qui  brouille  les  cartes  =  She  it  is  who  sows 

dissension. 


*  Carrosse,  a  coach,  being  derived  from  the  feminine  Italian  sub- 
stantive carrozza,  was  originally  feminine  likewise — 

"  D'ou  vient  .  .  . 
Que  toujours  d'un  valet  la  carrosse  est  suivie  ?  " 

RiGNIER. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          69 

Les  cartes  sont  brouillees  entre  eux  =  [See  BROUILLER.] 
//  ne  perd  pas  la  carte  =  He  is  wide-awake.     He  has 

his  wits  about  him. 
//  s'est  fait  tirer  les  cartes  =  He  got  his  fortune  told 

him. 

Nous  jouons  cartes  sur  table  =  We  act  frankly,  openly. 
//  sait  faire  des  tours  de  cartes  =  He  can  show  tricks 

with  cards. 

Je  vous  ai  donne  carte  blanche  =  [See  BLANC.] 
Nous  dinerons  a  la  carte  =  We  shall  dine  by  the  bill  of 

fare. 
Quel  chateau  de  cartes  !  =  What  a  pasteboard  building  ! 

Cas. — Ce  riest pas  un  cas  pendable  =  It  is  no  hanging  matter. 
En  tout  cas  =  At  any  rate. 
En  pareil  cas  =  Under  such  circumstances. 
Auquel  cas  =  In  which  case. 
C'est  le  cas  ou  jamais  —  It  is  now  or  never. 
Hors  le  cas  ou  il  refuserait  =  Unless  he  refused. 
Le  cas  echeant=  In  such  a  case. 
J'en  fats  le  plus  grand  cas  =  I  set  a  very  high  value 

upon  it. 
//  riest  pas  dans  le  cas  de  vous  tromper  =  He  is  not 

capable  of  deceiving  you. 
C'est  Men  le  cas  de  dire  que  tout  en  ce  monde  est  possible 

=  One  may  well  say  that  everything  may  happen  in 

this  world. 
Je  trien  fat's  un  cas  de  conscience  =  I  make  a  scruple 

of  it. 
Tout  mauvais  cas  est  niable  =  A  man  is  never  obliged 

to  plead  guilty. 
Casaque. — //  a  tourne  casaque  =  He  is  a  turn-coat.     He 

changed  sides. 
Cassation. — -Je  me  pourvoirai  en  cassation  =  I  shall  lodge 

a  supreme  appeal.     I  shall  sue  for  a  writ  of  error. 
Casse-COU.— -fat  crie :  casse-cou  /=  I  called  out :  danger  ! 
Cet  escalier  est  un  vrai  casse-cou  =  This  staircase  is  a 

regular  break-neck. 
Cet  homnie  est  un  casse-cou  =  This  man  is  a  dare-devil,  a 

desperate  character. 


70          FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND   PROVERBS 

Casser. — 11  a  eu  le  nez  casse  =  He  got  his  nose  put  out  of 

joint. 
Qui  casse  les  verres  les  paie  =  He  that  does  the  damage 

must  answer  for  it. 
Le  porto  et  tous  les  vins  alcoolises  me  cassent  la  tete  = 

Port  and  all  alcoholised  wines  get  into  my  head. 

SC  Casser. — //  se  cassera  le  nez,  s'il  s'entete  =  He  will  be 

balked,  if  he  is  obstinate. 
Ne  vous  cassez  done  pas  la  tete  a  ces  enigmes  =  Don't 

puzzle  your  brains  over  those  riddles. 
11  s'est  casse  la  tete  d'un  coup  de  pistolet  =  He  blew  his 

brains  out. 
//  commence  a  se  casser  —  He  is  beginning  to  break. 

Casse-tete. — Ce  travail  est  un  vrai  casse-tite  =  'This  is  a 
real  head-splitting  work. 

Cause. — -fai  agi  en  connaissance  de  cause  =  I  had  good 

grounds  for  what  I  did. 

Je  ne  suis  pas  en  cause  =  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 
En  tout  etat  de  cause  =  In  any  and  every  case. 
Nous  avons  eu  gain  de  cause  contre  ces  coquins  =  We 

carried  the  day  against  those  rogues. 
Je  prendrai  fait  et  cause  pour  vous  —  I  shall  take  your 

part. 
Je  me  tairai,  et  pour  cause  =  I  shall  remain  silent,  and 

for  a  very  good  reason. 
Us  feront  cause  commune  avec  nous  =  They  will  unite 

their  efforts  with  ours. 
Jl  fit  une  derniere  tentative  en  desespoir  de  cause  =  He 

made  a  last  and  forlorn  attempt. 
Ses  heritiers  ou  ay  ants-cause  —  His  heirs  or  assigns. 

Cautere. — C'estun  cautere  sur  une  jambe  de  bois=\\.  is  a 
cautery  on  a  wooden  leg,  i.e.,  a  useless  remedy. 

Caution. — 11  est  sujet  a  caution  =  He  is  not  to  be  relied 

upon  [i.e.,  not  to  be  trusted  except  on  bailJ\ 
Je  veux  caution  bourgeoise  — 

[MoLi&RE,  Les  Precieuses  Ridicules.} 
I  want  a  trustworthy  surety,  a  special  bail. 
Sous  caution  =  On  bail. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          71 

Ce. — Sur  ce,  il  nous  congedia  =  Thereupon  he  dismissed  us. 
Voila  ce  que  c'est  que  de  ne  pas  prendre  conseil—  Such  is 

the  consequence  of  not  seeking  advice. 
Sije  lefais,  c'est  que  je  ne  puts  m'en  dispenser  =  If  I  do 

it,  it  is  because  I  cannot  help  it. 
Vous  auriez  pu,  ce  me  semble,  ecrire  =  You  might,  it 

seems  to  me,  have  written. 
Ce  que  fai  ri  !  [familiar]  =  Didn't  I  laugh  ! 
Ce  que  je  donnerais  pour  voir  cela  !  [elliptical  for,  Je  ne 

saurais  vous  dire  ce  que  je  donnerais]  =  What  would  I 

not  give  to  see  that  ? 

Pour  cefaire  =  To  bring  that  result  about. 
Ce  n'est  pas  que  j'y  tienne  /a«/=Not  that  I  care  so 

much  for  it. 
Ce  que  je  sais  le  mieux,  c'est  mon  commencement :  = 

[RACINE,  Les  Plaideurs.'] 

What  I  know  best  is  my  beginning. 
A  ce  qu'il  dit=  From  what  he  says. 
A  ce  qu'il  semble  =  As  far  as  it  appears. 
Ce  que  cest  que  cette  jeunesse  1  =  It  is  just  like  all  young 

people. 
Les  sardines  etaient  bonnes,  mat's  les  huttres  s'etaient 

gatees  en  chemin.     Ce  que  c'est  que  de  nous  /  *  = 

[E.  ABOUT,  Les  Jumeaux  de  I'  Hdtel  ComeiHe.] 

The  sardines  were  good,  but  the  oysters  had  got 
bad  on  the  way.     What  poor  things  we  are  ! 

C£ans. — 11  sortde.ceans  =  He  has  just  gone  out  of  the  house. 
Quoi  I  je  souffrirai  moi,  qu'un  cagot  de  critique 
Vienne  usurper  ceans  un  pouvoir  tyrannique  1  = 

[MOLIERE,  7'arlufe.} 

What !  shall  I  suffer  a  bigoted  critic  to  come  and 
usurp  a  tyrannical  power  in  this  house  ! 


*  Ce  qite  c'est  que  de  nous  I  This  quaint  ejaculation  of  the  most  witty 
of  writers  is  an  allusion  to  the  double  meaning  of  the  word  "huitre," 
which,  besides  designating  in  its  sober  academical  sense  that  excellent 
bivalve,  which  of  late  has  unfortunately  become  so  scarce,  or  rather  so 
dear — not  at  all  the  same  thing — is  also  popularly  applied  in  trivial 
language,  and  in  a  spirit  by  no  means  flattering,  to  a  "soft,"  weak- 
headed  party. 


72          FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Ceci. — la  creature  la  plus  folle,  la  plus  ceci,  la  plus  cela  qu'il 
soit possible  d'irnaginer  =  [MME.  DE  SEVIGNE.] 

The  most  giddy,  the  most  hoity-toity  creature  you 
could  imagine. 

Ceinttire.* — Bonne  renommee  vaut  mieux  que  ceinture  doree 
=  A  good  name  is  better  than  riches. 

Cela. — C'est  bien  cela  /  =  That's  it. 

C'est  cela  meme  =  That's  the  very  thing. 
PTest-ce  que  cela  ?  =  Is  that  all  ? 
Comment  cela  1  =  How  so  ? 
Je  me  porte  comme  cela  =  I  am  so-so. 
Que  voulez-vous  que  j'y  fasse  ?     II  est  comme  cela  —  I 

can't  help  it.     That's  his  way. 
Cela  se  croit  si  jolie  I  =  She  thinks   herself  so   very 

pretty ! 
C'est  parler,  cela  1  =  That   is  what   I    call   to   speak 

frankly. 
C'est  ceci,  c 'est  cela  =  It  is  now  one  thing,  now  another. 

C'etait  ceci,  c'etait  cela, 
C'etait  tout,  car  les  precieuses 
Font  dessus  tout  les  dedaigneuses  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

It  was  now  one  thing,  now  another ;  it  was  anything ; 
for  prudes  are  scornful  in  all  matters. 

Cendre. — C'est  unfeu  qui  couve,  qui  dort  sous  la  cendre  = 
It  is  a  fire  burning  under  the  ashes. 


*  Bonne  renommee  vaut  mieux  que  ceinture  doree.  There  is  an 
historical  fact  to  account  for  this  contradistinction  between  a  good 
name  and  a  gilded  belt.  In  the  reigns  of  Kings  Charles  VI.  and 
Charles  VII.  of  France,  edicts  were  issued — in  1420  and  1446 — for- 
bidding the  use  of  gilded  belts  among  women  of  loose  life.  These 
edicts  were,  in  fact,  a  repetition  of  a  royal  ordinance  to  the  same  pur- 
pose which  is  supposed  to  have  emanated  from  Blanche  de  Castille,  the 
Queen  of  Louis  VIII.  But  like  many  ordinances  of  olden  times,  and 
for  that  matter,  like  many  recent  parliamentary  enactments  also,  these 
edicts  were  soon  disregarded,  and  the  gilded  belts  became  so  general 
that  public  opinion  was  driven  in  despair  to  console  itself  with  the 
saying :  Never  mind ;  a  good  name  will  prevail — It  is  better  than  a 
rich  belt 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          73 

Le  feu  qui  semble  eteint  souvent  dort  sous  la  cendre  = 

[CORNEILLE.] 

The  fire  which  seems  extinguished  often  slumbers 
under  the  ashes. 

Cent. — -Je  vous  le  donne  en  cent=\  bet  you  a  hundred  to 
one. 

Centre. — //  cherche  deux  centres  en  un  cerde— ~Re  is  seeking 
for  an  impossible  thing. 

Cercle.*— Par  une  etrange  anomalie  de  /angage,  void  un 
cerde  ouvert  qui  se  ferme  et  qui  rouvert  sera  un  cerde 
ferme  =  By  a  peculiar  anomaly  of  language,  here  is 
an  open  club  which  is  closed,  and  which  when  re- 
opened will  become  a  close  club. 

Ce're'monie.—  Ne  faites  pas  de  ceremonies  =  Do  not  stand 

on  ceremonies. 
Visite  de  ceremonie  =  Formal  visit. 

Cervelle. — h'ous  avons  de  nos pensionnaires  qui  sans  doute 
etaient  autrefois  d'importants  personnages — de  fines 
cervelles  =  [SAINTINE,  Picciola.] 

We  have  amongst  our  inmates  men  who  doubtless 
were  formerly  important  personages — men  who 
had  brains. 

Chacun. — A  chacun  son  du  =  Give  the  devil  his  due. 

A  chacun  selon  ses  ceuvres  =  Give  every  one  his  share. 
Chacun  prend  son  plaisir  ou  il  le  trouve  =  Every  one  to 

his  liking. 

Chacun  le  sien  —  Every  one  his  own. 
Chacun  pour  soi  et  le  bon  Dieu  pour  tous  =  Every  one 

for  himself,  and  God  for  us  all. 

Chair. — //  n'esf  ni  chair,  ni  poisson  =  He  is  neither  fish, 

flesh,  nor  fowl. 
fen  at  la  chair  de  poule  —  I  shudder  at  it ;  it  makes  my 

flesh  creep. 

La  resurrection  de  la  chair  =  The  resurrection  of  the 
body. 


In  connection  with  these  anomalous  terms,  see  Note  on  AFFRONT. 


74          FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Pester  entre  cuir  et  chair '=To  be  dissatisfied  without 

daring  to  show  it. 

Rire  entre  cuir  et  chair  =To  laugh  inwardly. 
Hacher  menu  comme  chair  a  pate  =  To  cut  up  as  small 

as  mince-meat. 
La  chair  la  plus  pres  des  os  est  la  plus  tendre  —  The 

nearer  the  bone,  the  sweeter  the  meat. 
En  chair  et  en  os  =  In  flesh  and  blood. 
Un  poulet  bien  en  chair  =  A  nice  fat  fowl. 

Chaire. — Le  roman  ne peut  reussir  qu'a  la  condition  de  ne 
pas  monter  en  chaire  =  [PAUL  FEVAL.] 

A  novel  can  only  succeed  on  condition  of  not 
preaching. 

Chaise. — Chaise  a  bascule  —  Rocking-chair. 
Chaise  a  porteurs  =  Sedan-chair. 

Chambre. —  Chambre  des  Lords,   Chambre  des  Communes 

=  House  of  Lords,  House  of  Commons. 
//  a  bien  des  chambres  a  louer  dans  la  tete  =  He  is 

rather  cracked. 
Chambre  d'ami=  Spare  bedroom. 

Chameau. — Rejeter  le  moucheron  et  avaler  le  chameau  = 
To  strain  at  a  gnat  and  to  swallow  a  camel. 

Champ. — //  a  pris  la  clef  des  champs  =  He  has  run  away. 
Nous  lui  avons  donne  la  clef  des  champs  =  We  set  him  free. 
Je  vous  laisse  le  champ  libre  =  I  leave  you  a  clear  stage. 
//  s'est  sauve  a  travers  champs  =  He  has  taken  to  his 

heels — over  hedge  and  ditch. 
//  a  toujours  un  ail  aux  champs  et  I'autre  a  la  ville  = 

He  always  keeps  an  eye  to  the  main  chance. 
//  me  fait  Feffet  d'etre  aux  champs  =  He  appears  to  be 

uneasy. 
Un  rien  le  met  aux  champs  =  He  gets  angry  for  a  mere 

nothing. 
Donnez  du  champ  a  votre  echelle  =  Stretch  your  ladder 

out. 
Battre  aux  champs  [military]  =  To  beat  the  drum  for  a 

salute  (in  honour  of  the  Chief  of  the  State). 
A  tout  bout  de  champ  =  Incessantly. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          75 


Chance.  —  La  chance  a  tourne  =  T\ie  tables  are  turned. 

Chance  vattt  mieux  que  bien  jouer  =  Good  luck  is  better 

than  skill. 

//  n'y  a  chance  qui  ne  rechange  =  Fortune  is  incon- 
stant. 

Chandelle.  —  //  est  venu  se  bruler  a  la  chandelle  =  He  came 

^  and  burnt  his  wings. 
A  chaque  saint  sa  chandelle  =  Honour  where  honour  is 

due. 

Us  brulent  la  chandelle  par  les  deux  bouts  =  [See  BOUT.] 
//  vous  doit  une  belle  chandelle  =  He  has  cause  to  be 

very  thankful  to  you. 
La  chandelle  bru/e  =  [See  BRULER.] 
Le  jeu  rien  vaut  pas  la  chandelle  —  It  does  not  cover 

the  cost. 

C'est  une  economic  de  bouts  de  chandelle  =  [See  BOUT.] 
fen  ai  vu  trente-six  chandelles  =  I  was  so  stunned  that 

I  saw  all  the  colours  of  the  rainbow. 

Change.  —  Les  chiens  ont  pris  le  change  =  The  dogs  are  on 

the  wrong  scent. 
Cela  ne  donnera  pas  le  change  au  pays  =-  The  country 

will  not  be  easily  imposed  upon. 
fai  perdu  au  change  =  1  lost  by  the  bargain. 
Lettre  de  change  =  Bill  of  exchange. 

Changer.  —  Plus  fa  change,  plus  C'est  la  me  me  chose  —  Every 

new  change  leaves  things  exactly  as  they  were. 
II  faut  que  cet  enfant  ait  ete  change  en  nourrice  —  That 

child  must  be  a  changeling. 
//  n'a  pas  ete  change  en  nourrice  =  He  is  a  chip  of  the 

old  block. 

//  changera  de  ton  =  He  shall  alter  his  manner. 
//  est  change  en  bien,  en  mal=  He  has  changed  for  the 

better,  for  the  worse. 
Nous   avons  change    notre    cheval    borgne    contre    un 

aveugle  =  We  have  lost  in  the  exchange. 
Ilvousfaudra  changer  de  batterie  =  You  will  have  to  go 

to  work  in  a  different  way. 
Tel  change  qui  ne  gagne  pas  =  You  may  change  and  fare 


76          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Chanson. — Chansons  que  tout  cela  =  That  is  all  nonsense. 
Ce  sont  des  chansons  que  tout  cela.   Je  sais  ce  queje  sais  = 

[MOLIERE.] 

This  is  all  idle  talk.     I  know  what  I  know. 
En  France,  tout  finit  par  des  chansons  =  In  France, 

everything  ends  off  with  a  song. 
Chantage. — Ce  miserable  vtt  de  chantage  =  The  wretch  lives 

by  the  extortion  of  hush-money. 
Chanter. — Ce  riest pas  a  la  poule  a  chanter  devant  le  coq  — 

The  wife  owes  submission  to  her  husband. 
C'est  comme  si  vous  chantiez  =  You  might  as  well  talk 

to  the  wind. 
//  chante  toujours  la  meme  chanson  —  He  is  ever  harping 

on  the  same  string. 
Qu'est-ce  qrfil  vient  nous  chanter  ?  =  What  on  earth  does 

the  man  mean  ? 

Je  lui  ai  chante  sa  gamme  =  I  rated  him  soundly. 
Us  ont  voulu  le  faire  chanter  =  They  tried  to  extort 

money  from  him  by  threats  of  public  exposure  (or 

by  promises  of  public  eulogy). 
Je  le  ferai  chanter  sur  un  autre  ton  —  I'll  make  him  sing 

to  another  tune. 
Tel  chante  qui  n'a  joie  —  ^oy  is  occasionally  put  on  to 

disguise  sorrow. 

Tous  /es  jours,  tour  a  tour 
Elle  nous  chantait  pouille,  avant  la  fin  du  jour  = 

[DESTOUCHES.] 

Every  day,  by  turns,  she  called  us  names,  before  the 
day  was  over. 

Chantier. — 11  a  un  nouvel  ouvrage  sur  le  chantter=H.Q  has 
a  new  work  in  preparation. 

Chapelet. — Nous  avons  defile  chacun  notre  chapelet=^L%ek 
of  us  told  his  story. 

Chapitre. — Elle  se  plaint  de  ri avoir  pas  voix  au  chapitre 
=  She  complains  that  she  is  not  consulted — that  she 
has  no  voice  in  the  matter. 

Une  fois  sur  ce  chapitrey  elle  en  a  long  a  dire  =  When 
once  on  this  subject,  she  has  a  great  deal  to  say. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          77 

Chapitrer.— Je  I'ai  chapitr'e  comme  il  faut=  I  lectured  him 

properly. 

Chapon. — Chapon  de  huit  mot's,  chapon  de  rot's  =  An  eight 

months'  capon  is  a  kingly  fare. 
Qui  chapon  mange,  chapon  lui  vient  =  He    that   has 

plenty  shall  have  more. 
Qui  chapon  donne,  chapon  lui  vient  =  One  present  brings 

another  in  return. 

Chaque. — Chaque  oiseau  trouve  son  nid  l>eau  =  YLome  is 

home,  be  it  ever  so  homely. 

Chaque  tete,  chaque  avis  =  Many  men,  many  minds. 
Chaque   pays    a    sa   guise  =  Many    countries,    many 

customs. 

Charbonnier.* — Charbonnier  est    maitre    chez   lui  =  An 
Englishman's  house  is  his  castle. 


*  Charbonnier  est  mattre  chez  lui.     This  old  proverb  is  but  another 
form  of  a  still  older  saying  : 

' '  Or,  par  droit  et  par  raison, 
Chacun  est  maitre  en  sa  maison," 

and  is  supposed  to  have  originated,  in  this  later  wording,  at  the  time  of 
Francis  I.,  who  is  indeed  made  to  play  a  gracious  part  in  the  story 
adduced.  We  are  told  that  His  Majesty,  when  out  hunting,  got 
separated  from  his  suite  and  sought  shelter  in  a  charcoal-burner's  hut. 
This  man  was  not  otherwise  than  hospitable  to  his  unknown  visitor ; 
but  still  he  claimed  to  keep  for  himself  the  only  decent  chair  he  owned 
in  his  cottage,  quoting  in  explanation,  we  are  told,  the  above  not  very 
civil  maxim.  The  supper  was  very  good,  as  it  consisted  of  a  haunch  of 
venison,  the  proceeds  of  the  charcoal-burner's  poaching  on  the  royal 
preserves,  about  which  of  course  he  took  care  to  recommend  the 
greatest  discretion,  for  fear  the  matter  should  reach  the  ears  of  Grand- 
Nez  (His  Majesty's  popular  nickname).  We  may  imagine  the  poor 
coal-burner's  feelings  the  next  morning  when,  on  the  royal  hunting 
party  turning  up,  he  recognised  King  Francis  in  the  gentleman  on 
whom  he  had  bestowed  his  uncourteous  proverb  and  his  stolen  venison. 
His  French  Majesty,  however,  showed  himself  a  noble  prince  ;  for  we 
are  told  that  by  way  of  rewarding  the  poor  "charbonnier"  for  his 
hospitality,  Francis  actually  gave  him  the  benefit  of  certain  rights  in 
connection  with  the  royal  forest,  and  it  is  even  said  was  pleased  to 
grant  him  certain  privileges  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  whole  corporation  of 
charcoal-burners. 


78          FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Charge. — Ce  sont  de  lourdes  charges  =  These   are   heavy 

expenses. 
Us  ont  etc  laisses  a  la  charge  de  la  commune  =  They 

have  been  left  on  the  parish. 

//  est  a  charge  a  safamille  =  He  is  a  burden  to  his  family. 
//  reviendra  a  la  charge—  He  will  be  at  it  again. 
Un  homme  d'esprit,  et  d'un  caractere  simple  et  droit, 
pent  tomber  dans  quelque  piege.     11  riy  a  qu'a  perdre 
pour  ceux  qui  viendraient  a  une  seconde  charge,  il 
ri est  tromp'e  qd une  fois  =  [LA  BRUYERE.] 

A  sensible  man,  candid  and  upright,  may  fall  into 
a  snare.    But  any  one  who  would  attempt  again 
to  victimise  him  would  fare  badly ;  for  he  is 
not  to  be  taken  in  more  than  once. 
J'y  consens ;   mais  a  la  charge  d'autant=\  consent; 

but  on  condition  that  you  will  do  as  much  for  me. 
II  fait  de  son  role  une  vraie  charge  =  He  exaggerates  his 

part  and  makes  a  caricature  of  it. 
Temoins  a  charge  =  Witness  for  the  prosecution. 
Femme  de  charge  =  Housekeeper. 
//  s'est  demis  de  sa  charge  —  He  has  resigned  his  place. 

Charger. — Sa  description  est  un  pen  chargee  =  The  story  is 

rather  amplified. 

77  charge  trop  ses  roles  =  He  overdoes  his  parts. 
Je  ne  puis  pas  m'en  charger  =\  cannot  take  it  upon 
myself. 

Et  Monsieur  le  Cure 
De  quelque  nouveau  saint  charge  toujours  son  prone  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

And  M.  le  Cure  is  always  lugging  in  a  new  saint 
into  his  sermon. 

Charite*. — Charite  Men  ordonnee  commence  par  soi-meme  = 

Charity  begins  at  home. 
II  fait  g'enereusement  la  charite=  He  gives  alms  liberally. 

Charlemagne.* — Faire  Charlemagne  —  To  withdraw  from 


*  There  seems  to  be  only  one  way  of  accounting  for  this  expression  : 
Faire  Charlemagne.  Here  it  is  as  suggested  by  M.  Genin  in  his 
"  Notes  stir  le  Dictionnaire  Franfais  "  :  "I  can  only  trace  this  phrase 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          79 

the  card-table  after  pocketing  large  profits  without 
giving  one's  adversaries  the  chance  of  winning  back 
their  money. 
Charme. — -Cela  vous  va  comme  un  charme  — \\.  fits   you 

to  a  T. 

Elle  seporte  comme  un  charme  =  She  is  in  excellent  health. 
J'etais  sous  le  charme  —  [E.  ABOUT.] 

I  was  spell-bound. 
Charretier.- — 11  jure  comme  un  charretier =  He  swears  like 

a  trooper. 
//  n'est  si  bon  charretier  qui  ne  verse  =  It  is  a  good  horse 

that  never  stumbles. 
Charrette. — Mieux  vaut  etre  cheval  que  charrette  =  Better 

lead  than  be  led. 
Charrue. — Mettre  la  charrue  devant  les  bxufs  —  To  put  the 

cart  before  the  horse. 
Charybde.  —  Tomber  de  Charybde  en  Scylla  =  To  fall  out  of 

the  frying-pan  into  the  fire. 
Chasse. — Chasse  a  courre — au  tir — au  vol=  Coursing — 

shooting — fowling. 

La  chasse  estfermee  =  The  shooting  season  is  closed. 
Habit  de  chasse  =  Shooting-jacket. 
Donner  la  chasse  aux  gens  portant  baton  = 

To  drive  away  beggars.  [LA  FONTAINE-] 

Chasser. — //  chasse  de  race  =  He  is  a  chip  of  the  old  block. 
La  f aim  chasse  le  loup  des  bois  —  [See  Bois.] 
Qui  deux  choses  chasse,  ni  fune  ni  fautre  ne  prend= 

Between  two  stools  one  falls  to  the  ground. 
Leurs  chiens  ne  chassent  pas  ensemble  — "They  are  not  on 

good  terms  with  each  other. 

to  an  allusion  to  the  death  of  Charlemagne,  which  occurred  at  the  time 
of  the  greatest  power  of  the  Prankish  Western  Empire.  Charlemagne 
kept  undiminished  to  the  end  all  his  conquests  across  the  Rhine  and 
beyond  the  Pyrenees  and  the  Alps,  and  left  the  game  of  life  without 
having  lost  any  portion  of  the  fruit  of  his  victories.  The  player  that 
retires  with  his  hands  full  is  supposed  to  do  like  Charlemagne.  11  fail 
Charlemagne"  And  it  may  be  remarked  that  one  of  the  four  kings  in 
a  pack  of  cards  does  bear  the  name  of  Charlemagne.  Anyhow,  we 
have  here  a  very  great  name  strangely  attached  to  a  very  shabby  action. 


8o          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Un  clou  chasse  Pautre  =  One  fancy,  or  passion,  drives 

out  another. 
//  chasse  aux  blancs  moineaux  =  He  wastes  his  time  in 

running  after  impossibilities. 
lls  chassent  sur  nos  terres  =  They  encroach  upon  our 

prerogatives. 
Ce  navire  chasse  sur  son  ancre  —  The  ship  drags  her 

anchor. 

Chassez  le  naturel,  il  revient  au  galop  = 

[DESTOUCHES.] 

What  is  bred  in  the  bone  will  never  come  out  of  the 

flesh. 
Chat. — Ne    reveillez  pas   le  chat  qui  dort=  Let  sleeping 

dogs  lie.     When  sorrow  is  asleep  wake  it  not. 
A  bon  chat,  bon  rat=rT\t  for  tat;   Diamond  cut  dia- 
mond;  A  Roland  for  an   Oliver;   Set   a   thief  to 

catch  a  thief. 
Quand les  chats  n'y  sont pas,  les  souris  dansent=VJ\\en 

the  cat's  away,  the  mice  will  play. 
Chat  echaude  craint  /'eaufroide  =  Once  bit,  twice  shy  ; 

A  burnt  child  dreads  the^  fire ;  A  burnt  dog  dreads 

the  fire.     [See  Note  on  ECHAUDE.] 
Je  ne  veux  pas  acheter  chat  en  poche  =  I  won't  buy  a  pig 

in  a  poke. 
La  nuit  tous  les  chats  sont  gris  —  When  candles  are  away 

all  cats  are  grey. 
Se  servir  de  la  patte  du  chat  pour  tirer  les  marrons  du 

feu  =  To  make  a  cat's-paw  of  any  one. 
//  n'y  a  pas  la  de  quoi  fouetter  un  chat=  It  is  a  mere 

trifle.     It  is  not  worth  making  a  fuss  about. 
Us  ont  d'autres  chats  a  fottetter  =T\iey  have  other  fish 

to  fry. 
Ce  chanteur  a  un  chat  dans  la  gorge  =  That  singer  has 

something  the  matter  with  his  throat. 
J'appelleun  chat  un  chat=\  don't  mince  matters;  I 

call  a  spade  a  spade. 
J'appelle  un  chat  un  chat,  et  Rolet  un  fripon  — 

[BOILEAU.] 

I  call  a  spade  a  spade,  and  Rolet  a  thief. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          8 1 

//  n'y  avait  pas  un  chat  dans  la  rue  =  There  was  not  a 

soul  in  the  street. 
Us  s'accordent  comme  chiens  et  chats  =  They  lead  a  cat 

and  dog  life. 
Chat  emmitoufle  rtattrape  pas  de  soun's  =  The  cat  in 

gloves  catches  no  mice. 
//  le  guette  comme  le  chat  fait  la  souris  =  He  watches 

him  as  narrowly  as  a  cat  does  a  mouse. 
On  vous  jettera  chat  aux  jambes  =  They  will  lay  the 

sin  at  your  door. 
//  a  passe  sur  cette  affaire  comme  chat  sur  braise  =  He 

passed  rapidly  over  that  matter,  like  a  cat  on  hot 

bricks. 
*  Un  tel  nja  pas  de  bon  vin :   JVon,  c'est  le  chat !  = 

Such-a-one  has  no  good  wine — Don't  you  believe 

that! 

Chateau.! — II  fait  souvent  des  chateaux  en  Espagne—^o. 

often  builds  castles  in  the  air. 

Chateau  de  cartes  =  A  pretty  but  flimsily-built  country 
house. 

Chatier. — Qui  aime  bien  chatie  bien  =  [See  AIMER.] 


*  This  jocular  phrase,  Un  tel  ne  vend  pas  de  bon  vin — Non,  c'est  le 
chat  1  which  I  have  thought  right  to  introduce  here,  is  to  be  met  with 
in  Brittany,  especially  in  the  western  districts  of  the  Bretagne  Breton- 
nante,  over  the  entrance-door  of  almost  every  country  inn.  The  last 
word  of  this  truly  idiomatic  expression  is  generally  replaced  by  a  more 
or  less  artistic  picture  of  a  cat. 

t  Faire  des  chateaux  en  Espagne  is  to  indulge  in  dreams  of  great 
material  success  or  high  social  distinction  which  can  never  be  realised. 
So  far  the  idea  of  "  chateaux  "  is  comprehensible.  But  why  in  Spain  ? 
Apparently  because  when  this  expression  was  first  introduced,  there 
was  no  chateau,  no  great  country-house  in  the  Peninsula,  and  therefore 
it  implies  looking  forward  to  what  does  not  exist.  And,  by  way  of 
accounting  for  that  fact,  it  is  recorded  that  at  the  time  when  the 
Moorish  incursions  were  frequent,  the  kings  of  Spain  did  actually 
forbid  that  any  castles  should  be  erected  in  the  country  for  fear  the 
Moors  should  take  possession  of  them  and  turn  them  into  fortresses. 

"  Une  reverie  sans  corps  et  sans  sujet,"  says  Montaigne  (as  far  back 
as  the  i6th  century),  "  regente  notre  ame  et  1'agite  ;  que  je  me  mette 
a  faire  des  chasteaux  en  Espaigne,  mon  imagination  m'y  forge  des  com- 
modites  et  des  plaisirs  desquels  mon  ame  est  reellement  chatouillee  et 
rejouie." 

VOL.  I.  F 


82  FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Chaild. — 11 faut  batlre  le  fer  pendant  gu'il  est  chaud=  One 
must  strike  the  iron  while  it  is  hot — One  must  make 
hay  while  the  sun  shines. 

Tomber  de  fievre  en  chaud  mal—  To  fall  from  a  bad 
state  into  a  worse  one.  To  fall  out  of  the  frying-pan 
into  the  fire. 

11  en  park  bien  a  son  aise :  il  a  les  pieds  chauds  —  It  is 

all  very  well  for  him  to  speak  of  it  in  that  way  :  he 

is  in  very  comfortable  circumstances. 

Elle  pleurait  a  chaudes  larmes  =  ^>\\&  was  crying  bitterly. 

Cela  ne  fera  ni  chaud  ni  froid=rrha.t  will  make  no 

difference  whatever. 

Cela  ne  lui  fait  ni  chaud  ni  froid=  It  leaves  him  per- 
fectly indifferent. 

//  n'a  eu  rien  de  plus  chaud  que  dialler  leur  en  parler  = 
The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  go  and  tell  them  of  it. 
Arriere  ceux  dont  la  bouche 
Souffle  le  chaud  et  le  froid= 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

I  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  those  whose  mouths 
blow  hot  and  cold. 

Chaudron. — Couvercle  digne  du  chaudron  =  The  lid  matches 
the  caldron. 

//  rencontrait  gens  aussi  fous  que  lui,  et  comme  dit  le 
proverbe,  couvercle  digne  du  chaudron  = 

[RABELAIS.] 

He  met  people  as  mad  as  himself,  and,  as  the 
proverb  has  it,  the  caldron  and  the  lid  were  a 
good  match. 

Chauffer. — Ce  n 'est  pas  pour  vous  que  le  four  chauffe  = 
Don't  you  wish  you  may  get  it  ? 

se  Chauffer. — -Je  vous  ferai  voir  de  quel  bois  je  me  chauffe 
=  I  will  show  you  what  mettle  I  am  made  of. 

Chaumiere. — Chaumiere  ou  I* on  rit  vaut  mieux  que  palais 
ou  fon  pleure  =  K  mirthful  hut  is  better  than  a 
sorrowful  palace. 

Chausser. — Les  cordonniers  sont  les  plus  mal  chausses  = 
Nobody  is  worse  shod  than  the  shoemaker's  wife. 


FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          83 

Chaussure. — II  a  trouve  chaussure  a  son  pied—  He  found 

what  he  wanted ;  he  met  with  his  match. 
Chauve.* — L  occasion  est  chauve  =  Opportunity  is  not  easily 

got  hold  of. 
Chaux. — II  faut  qu'il  soit  bati  a  chaux  et  a  sable  =*Re. 

must  have  an  iron  constitution. 
La  chaux  enrichit  le  pere  et  ruine  les  enfants  =  Land 

manured  to  excess  must  eventually  lose  its  fertility. 
Chef. — -21  a  fait  cela  de  son  chef—  He  has  done  that  by  his 

own  authority,  on  his  own  responsibility. 
11  a  eu  cette  terre  du  chef  de  so.  femme  =  He  came  in  for 

that  land  by  right  of  his  wife. 

C'est  impolitique  au  premier  chef—  It  is  most  impolitic. 
Vous  avez  fait  la  un  beau  chef-d'oeuvre  [ironically]  = 

That's  a  fine  piece  of  work  of  yours  ! 

Chernin. — II f era  surementson  chemin  =  He  is  sure  to  get  on. 
//  n'y  va  pas  par  quatre  chemins  =  He  goes  straight  to 

the  point. 

Jtebroussons  chemin  =  Let  us  trace  our  way  back. 
Le  grand  chemin  des  vaches  —  The  plain  road. 
//  prend  le  chemin  de  l'hopital=  He  is  on  the  way  to 

the  workhouse. 

Le  chemin  des  ecoliers  =  The  longest  way  round. 
//  va  son  petit  bonhomme  de  chemin  =  [See  BONHOMME.] 
Passez  votre  chemin  —  Go  along  with  you. 
Get  ecolier  a  fait  Men  du  chemin  depuispeu  =  That  school- 
boy has  made  capital  progress  lately. 


*  L? occasion  est  chauve.  The  English  saying  is  "To  take  time  by 
the  forelock";  the  French  say,  "  Prendre  1'occasion  aux  cheveux." 
Here  we  have  the  proverbial  statement  that  "  Occasion  is  bald." 
There  is,  however,  no  contradiction  in  these  phrases.  On  the  contrary, 
they  confirm  each  other.  For  whilst  the  forelock  means  the  hair  in 
front  of  the  head,  the  baldness  alluded  to  in  the  present  saying  refers 
to  the  back  of  the  head.  As  a  matter  of  history,  the  ancients  repre- 
sented Occasion  by  the  figure  of  a  woman  with  locks  flowing  down  her 
face,  so  as  to  allow  of  her  being  easily  got  hold  of  by  the  first  person 
who  met  her,  whilst  she  had  no  hair  at  her  back,  by  which  allegory 
they  meant  to  convey  the  idea  that  on  the  one  hand  a  good  opportunity 
was  placed  before  a  wide-awake  energetic  party,  but  there  was  on  the 
other  hand  no  means  of  catching  the  symbolical  female  in  her  flight 
when  once  she  was  allowed  to  pass  by  unseized. 


84          FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

//  est  arrive  a  la  fortune  par  un  chemin  de  velours  —  He 

found  an  easy  road  to  fortune. 
Vous  ri!en  prenez  guere  le  chemin  —  You  hardly  go  the 

right  way  to  work. 
Chemin  faisant=  On  the  way. 
A  chemin  battu  il  ne  croit  pas  cTherbe  =  No  profit  can 

accrue  in  an  affair  wherein  too  many  are  engaged. 

There  are  too  many  of  the  trade. 
Avec  le  florin,  langue  et  latin,  par  tout  funivers  on 

trouve  le  chemin  =  With  the  florin,  a  tongue  in  your 

mouth  and  the  command  of  Latin,  you  can  find 

your  way  all  over  the  world. 
Ne  vous  arretez  pas  en  si  beau  chemin  =  Do  not  give  up 

the  game  when  so  near  the  goal. 
Tout  chemin  mene  a  Rome  =  There  are  more  ways  than 

one  of  doing  a  thing. 
En  tout  pays,  il  y  a  une  lieue  de  mauvais  chemins  = 

Every  enterprise  is  fraught  with  difficulties. 
Bonne  terre,  mauvais  chemin  =  In  fat  lands  the  roads 

are  bad. 

Vieux  comme  les  chemins  =  As  old  as  the  hills. 
Cheminee. — llfautfaire  une  croix  a  la  cheminee  —  We  must 

chalk  that  up. 
//  se  chauffe  a  la  cheminee  du  roi  Rene  =  He  warms 

himself  in  the  sun. 
Sous  la  cheminee,  sous  le   manteau  de  la  cheminee  = 

Privately,  clandestinely. 
Chemise. — 11  y  mangera  jusqu' a  sa  chemise- =  He  will  ruin 

himself  rather  than  give  up  that  enterprise. 
II  joueraitjusqu'a  sa  chemise  =  He  would  gamble  away 

everything,  to  the  shirt  off  his  back. 
Que  ta  chemise  ne  sache  ta  guise  —  Keep  your  thoughts 

innermost — to  yourself. 

Or  il  est  bon  que  l>on  vous  disc 
Quentre  la  chair  et  la  chemise 
II  faut  cacher  le  bien  qu^ on  fait— 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

It  is  right  one  should  tell  you  that  you  must  do  good 
without  ostentation  [literally,  Conceal  the  good 
you  do  between  your  flesh  and  your  shirt]. 


FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          85 

Chene. — On  n!abat  pas  un  chene  au  premier  coup  =  No  oak 

is  felled  at  one  stroke. 
Chercher. — Allez  le  chercher  =  Go  for  it. 
Venez  le  chercher  =  Come  for  it. 
Envoyez  le  chercher  =  Send  for  it. 
Chere. — Nous  eumes  chere  de  commissaire  =  'We   had   a 

regular  Lord  Mayor's  feast. 
On  y  fait  maigre  chere  =  T\\ey  live  poorly  there. 
21  n'est  chere  que  de  vilain  =  There  is  nothing  like  a 

miser's  feast. 
Grande  chere,  petit  testament '=A  fat  kitchen  makes  a 

lean  will. 
Cheval. — //   n'est   si  bon   cheval  qui  ne  bronche  =  [See 

BRONCHER.] 
A  cheval  donne  on  ne  regardepas  a  la  dent=  Never  look  a 

gift  horse  in  the  mouth.    Beggars  must  not  be  choosers. 
C'est  son  grand  cheval  de  bataille  —  That's  his  favourite 

subject  of  argument. 
C'est  un  excellent  cheval  de  trompette  =  He  can  stand 

any  noise.     He  is  not  easily  dismayed. 
Un  vieux  cheval  de  retour  =  A.  ticket-of-leave  man. 
Je  lui  ai  ecrit  une  lettre  a  cheval '=1  wrote  him  a  very 

severe  letter. 
//  est  a   cheval  sur  I' etiquette  =  ~Re  is  a  stickler  for 

etiquette. 
Monter  sur  ses  grands  chevaux  —  To  ride  the  high  horse. 

To  be  upon  the  high  ropes. 
//  a  change  son  cheval  borgne  contre  un  aveugle  =  He 

did  not  gain  anything  by  his  bargain. 
On  loge  a  pied  et  a  cheval=  Good  accommodation  for 

man  and  beast. 
L'ceil  du  mattre  engraisse  le  cheval  =  There  is  nothing 

like  the  master's  eye  to  make  matters  prosper. 
Figure  de  cheval  =  Violent  fever. 
Travail  de  cheval  =Nery  hard  work. 
Chevalier.  —  Un  chevalier  d'industrie  =  A  swindler.      A 

sharper. 
Chevet. — //  a  trouve  cela  sous  son  chevet=He  has  dreamt 

of  that. 


86          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Cheveu. — Cela  fait  dresser  les  cheveux  sur  la  /£/<?  =  That 

makes  one's  hair  stand  on  end. 
Un   argument  tire  par  les  cheveux  =  A    far-fetched 

argument. 
llfaiitprendre  F  occasion  aux  cheveux  =  You  must  take 

time  by  the  forelock  [See  note  on  "CHAUVE."] 
C'est  fendre  un  cheveu  en  quatre  =  That  is  splitting  a 

hair. 
//  couperait  un  cheveit  en  quatre  —  He  would  skin  a 

flint. 

I  Is  se  sont  pris  aux  cheveux  =  They  came  to  blows. 
Cheville. — Autant  de  trous,  autant  de  chevilles  =  A  plaster 

for  every  sore. 

C'est  la  cheville  ouvriere  de  la  maison  =  He  is  the  main- 
spring of  the  establishment. 
Les  autres  ne  lui  vont  pas  a  la  cheville  du  pied=T}\e 

others  are  very  inferior  to  him. 
Cheville. — //  a  Fame  chevillee  dans  le  corps =  He  has  as 

many  lives  as  a  cat. 
Chevre. — Ou  la  chevre  est  attach'ee,  il  faut  qtfelle  broute  = 

[See  B ROUTER.] 

C'est  un  malin  qui  menage  la  chevre  et  le  chou  —  He  is  a 
shrewd  man  who  holds  with  the  hare  and  runs  with 
the  hounds. 

Chez. — La  bonne  chose  qu'un  bon  chez  soi  I  — 

[SAINTE-BEUVE.] 

What  a  blessing  a  comfortable  home  is  ! 
C'est  chez  lui  une  habitude  =  It  has  grown  into  a  habit 

with  him. 
//  n 'est  pas  de  petit  chez  soi—  [Ducis.] 

There  is  no  place  like  home. 
II y  a  de  Favenir  chez  ce  jeune  ecrivain  =  There  is  much 

promise  in  this  young  writer. 
Chicane. — Je  ne  veux  pas  lui  chercher  chicane  —  I   don't 

want  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  him. 
Chien.  —  Tout  chien  qui  aboie  ne  mord  pas  =  A  barking 

dog  seldom  bites. 

Qui  aime  Bertrand  aime  son  chien  =  Love  me,  love 
my  dog. 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          87 

A  bon  chien  il  ne  vient  jamais  un  bon  os  =  Merit  seldom 

meets  with  its  reward. 

Bon  chien  chasse  de  race  =  *Like  sire,  like  son. 
Un  bon  chien  ri  aboie  point  faux  —  An  old  dog  barks  not 

in  vain. 
En  vain  je  m'effor^ai  de  rompre  les  chiens  —  Vainly  did 

I  endeavour  to  prevent  the  quarrel   [properly,  In 

vain  did  I  call  off  the  dogs.] 
Un  chien  regarde  bien  un  eveque  —  A  cat  may  look  at  a 

king. 
Quand  on  veut  tuer  son  chien,  on  dit  qu'il  est  enrage  = 

Give  a  dog  an  ill  name. 
A  m'echant  chien  court  lien  =  A  spiteful  cur  must  be 

tied  short. 
II  fait  un  temps  de  chien — II  fait  un  chien  de  temps  *  = 

The  weather  is  villainous. 
//  est  comme  le  chien  dujardinier  —  He  is  a  dog  in  the 

manger. 
II fait  un  temps  a  ne  pas  mettre  un  chien  dehors=\\. 

rains  so  hard  you  would  not  turn  a  dog  out  of  the 

house. 
Jetez-vous  votre   langue   aux   chiens  ?  —  Do   you   give 

it  up? 
C'est  Saint  Roch  et  son  chien  t  =  It  is  Darby  and  Joan. 


*  We  say  with  a  like  meaning,  Un  chien  de  temps,  and  Un  temps  de 
chien,  properly,  "Villainous  weather,"  and  "Weather  only  fit  for  a 
dog" — a  twofold  construction  aptly  illustrated  by  the  well-known 
picture  which  shows  a  couple  of  French  grenadiers  marching  through 
the  open  country  in  wretched  weather,  under  a  pelting  rain,  with  their 
dog  at  their  side,  drenched  to  the  skin. 

t  St.  Roch  deserves  a  special  notice  as  one  of  the  heroes  of  Charity. 
He  was  born  at  Montpellier  in  1295  °f  a  distinguished  and  wealthy 
family.  Having  early  lost  both  his  parents,  he  gave  away  all  his  pro- 
perty to  the  poor,  and  at  twenty  years  of  age  he  started  as  a  pilgrim 
for  Italy,  where  the  plague  was  then  raging.  He  devoted  himself  to 
the  nursing  of  the  victims,  and  cured  many,  but  he  got  in  his  turn 
infected  with  the  prevailing  scourge,  and  we  read  that  for  fear  of  com- 
municating this  terrible  disease,  he  left  the  hospital  where  he  had 
been  received,  and  withdrew  to  some  secluded  spot,  where  he  nearly 
succumbed.  He  was,  however,  discovered  there  by  a  gentleman's 
dog,  whose  master  attended  to  him  until  he  was  cured.  He  presently 
returned  to  his  native  country,  which  was  at  that  time  overrun  by  the 


88          FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Qui  vit  comme  chat  et  Men 
Jamais  n'a  repos  ni  bien  = 
Those  who  lead  a  cat  and  dog  life  get  neither  rest 

nor  good. 
Chien  hargneux  a  toujours  Foreille  dechir'ee  =  Snarling 

curs  are  never  free  from  sore  ears. 
Entre  chien  et  loup  *  =  In  the  dusk  of  the  evening. 

Chiffonner. — Sa  petite  mine  chiffonnee  riest  pas  desagreable 
=  Her  irregular   features  are   not   otherwise   than 
pleasant. 
Cela  me  chiffonne  un  peu  =  That  rather  vexes  me. 

Chiffrer. — Toutsechiffreaujourd'hui='^oi\\\ng  but  money 
is  valued  nowadays. 

Chipoter. — La  vie  est  trop  courte  pour  chipoter  = 

[VOLTAIRE.] 

Life  is  too  short  to  contend  about  trifles. 

Choisir. — Ne  choisit  pas  qui  emprunte  =  Borrowers  must 

not  be  choosers. 

Qui  choisit  trop  prend  le  pire  =  Pick  and  choose,  and 
take  the  worst. 

Chorus. — Tout  le  mondefit  chorus =  They  all  chimed  in. 

Chose. — //  a  trh-bien  pris  la  chose  =  He  took  the  thing  in 

good  part. 

La  chose  publique  =  The  commonwealth. 
Dites  bien  des  choses  de  ma  part  chez  vous  =  Remember 

me  kindly  at  home. 
Je  me  sens  tout  chose  aujourd'hui  [familiar]  =  I  feel  quite 

out  of  sorts  to-day. 


troops  of  the  King  of  Aragon.  Being  taken  for  a  spy,  he  was  arrested 
and  thrown  into  prison.  There  he  remained  for  five  years  without  ever 
making  himself  known,  bearing  with  most  exemplary  fortitude  and 
patience  that  unjust  and  long  captivity,  which  only  ended  with  his  life, 
on  the  i6th  August  1327.  The  dog  who  had  saved  his  life  has  very 
properly  been  associated  with  his  memory. 

*  The  wolf  is  rather  like  the  dog  in  shape  and  general  appearance, 
quite  enough  to  make  it  often  difficult  to  tell  the  one  from  the  other  in 
the  dark.  Hence  this  expression  applied  to  dusk,  when  objects  are 
not  easily  distinguished. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          89 

Monsieur  Chose  [very  familiar]  =  Mr.  What's-his-name. 
Chose  promise,  chose  due  =  What  is  promised  is  due. 
Ce  riest pas  grand' chose  =  \\.  is  a  mere  trifle. 
Vous  m'etes  toutes  choses  —  [MME.  DE  SEVIGNE.] 

You  are  all  in  all  to  me. 
En  toute  chose,  ilfaut  considerer  la  fin  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Look  before  you  leap. 
Chaque  chose  a  sa  place  =  Let  every  tub  stand  on  its 

own  bottom. 

Chou. — -Je  suis  venu  id  planter  mes  choux=  I  have  come  to 
live  here  in  the  country. 

Chou  pour  chou,  Aubervilliers  vaut  Men  Paris  =  Take 
it  all  in  all,  Aubervilliers  is  as  good  as  Paris  (i.e.,  so 
far  as  cabbages  go  !).  All  things  have  their  particular 
merits. 

//  s'entend  a  cela  comme  a  ranter  des  choux  =  He  knows 
nothing  about  it. 

Cela  ne  vaut  pas  un  trognon  de  chou  =  That's  not  worth 
a  pin's  head. 

Qu'il  en  fasse  des  choux  ou  des  raves  =  Let  him  do  what 
he  pleases  with  it. 

Les  domestiques  avaient  fait  fi  de  ce  plat,  mat's  lui,  il  en 
a  fait  ses  choux  gras  =  The  servants  had  turned  up 
their  noses  at  that  dish,  but  he  thoroughly  en- 
joyed it. 

Mon  petit  chou*  =  My  little  duck.  My  little  dar- 
ling. 

Chou  a  la  creme  =  Puff  pastry  filled  with  cream  (in  the 
shape  of  a  cabbage). 


*  In  this  familiar  phrase  the  word  chou  is  borrowed  from  the  pastry- 
cook's shop  and  not  from  the  kitchen-garden  ;  and  the  connection  of 
a  popular  term  expressing  endearment  with  a  delicate  piece  of  pastry, 
viz.,  un  chou  a  la  crime,  is  certainly  less  irrational  than  with  the  notion 
of  a  vulgar  vegetable.  I  cannot  help  feeling,  however,  that,  putting 
things  at  the  worst,  a  cabbage  is  scarcely  more  unattractive  than  that 
dirty  feeder  and  uninteresting  aquatic  bird  that  is  made  to  do  duty  to 
the  same  purpose  in  English.  It  must  be  admitted  that,  to  speak 
idiomatically,  there  is  hardly  a  pin  to  choose,  as  proper  objects  of  a 
tender  feeling,  between  the  French  chou  and  the  English  duck. 


90          FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Ciel. — //  a  remue  del  et  terre  =  tte  left  no  stone  unturned. 

Clair. — On  riy  voit pas  <rAz/>=One  cannot  see. 

C'est  clair  comme  le  jour  =  It's  as  clear  as  daylight 
C'est  clair  et  net,  riest-ce  pas  ?  =  That  is  quite  plain,  is 

it  not  ? 
L 'affaire  C.  If.  riajamais  tie  tir'ee  au  clair =  The  C.  H. 

affair  has  never  been  cleared  up. 
II fait  clair  de  lune  =  It  is  moonlight. 
//  a  gaspille  le  plus  clair  de  son  bien  =  He  has  run 

through  the  best  part  of  his  property. 
Us  sont  dair-semes  =  They  are  thinly  scattered. 

Claque. — C'est  bien  dommage  que  Von  riessaie  pas  une  bonne 
fois  de  se  debarrasser  de  cette  affreuse  claque  dans  nos 
theatres  =  1\.  is  a  great  pity  that  serious  efforts  are 
not  made  to  get  rid  of  those  objectionable  paid 
applauders  in  our  theatres. 

Classe. — A  la  rentree  des  classes  —  On  the  reopening  of 
school  or  college. 

Clef. — Us  ont  mis  la  clef  sous  la  porte  =  They  have  bolted. 
//  a  pris  la  clef  des  champs  =  He  has  run  away. 
Fermez  la  porte  a  clef=  Lock  the  door. 
On  appelle  la  Pensylvanie^  FEtat  clef  de  voute  —  The 

State  of  Pennsylvania  is  called  the  key-stone  of  the 

American  vault. 

Un  trousseau  de  clefs  =  A  bunch  of  keys. 
Clef  d'or  ouvre  toutes  les  portes  =  A  full  purse  makes 

the  mouth  speak. 

Clerc. —  Vous avezfait la  unpas  de  clerc=You  have  made  a 

blunder. 
On  peut pr'edire  sans  etre  grand  derc  qu'il  rien  sortira 

rien  de  bon  =  It  is  easy  to  foretell,  without  being  very 

knowing,  that  no  good  will  come  out  of  it. 
//  ne  faut  pas  parler  latin  devant  les  dercs  —  One  must 

avoid  speaking  on  a  subject  before  those  who  have 

made  a  special  study  of  it 
Les  plus  grands  dercs  ne  sont  pas  toujours  les  plus  fins  = 

The  most  learned  men  are  not  always  the   most 

skilful. 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          9 1 

IV' en  deplaise  a^(x  docteurs,  cordeliers,  jacobins, 
Mafoi,  les  phis  grands  clercs  ne  sont  pas  les  plus  fins  = 

[REGNIER.] 

Whatever  Doctors,  Franciscans,  and  Jacobins  may 
think,  the  most  learned  men,  upon  my  word,  are 
not  the  shrewdest. 

Clin. — En  un  din  d'oeil=  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

Cloche. —  Vous  etes  heureux  de  rietre  pas  sujet  au  coup  de 
cloche  =  You  are  a  lucky  man  to  have  the  command  of 
your  time,  i.e.,  not  to  be  subject  to  the  call  of  the  bell. 

On  fait  dire  aux  cloches  tout  ce  qu'on  veut=  As  the  bell 
clinketh,  so  the  fool  thinketh. 

A  Paris,  le  bruit  des  cloches  dit  tout  ce  qu'on  leur  fait 
dire=  [ALEX.  DUMAS.] 

In  Paris  you  can  explain  a  report,  or  rumour,  as 
you  please. 

Mes  locataires  ont  demenag'e  a  la  cloche  de  bois  —  My 
tenants  have  run  away  without  paying  their  rent. 

Qui  rientend  qrfune  cloche  rientend  qu'un  .swz  =  You 
must  hear  both  sides.  One  tale  holds  good  until 
another  is  heard. 

//  est  temps  de  fondre  la  cloche  =  It  is  time  to  act. 

//  est  penaud  comme  un  fondeur  de  cloche  =  He  is  dis- 
mayed at  a  failure  which  he  thought  impossible. 

Clocher  (Subst.). — //  n'a  jamais  perdu  de  vue  le  clocher  de 
son  village  =  He  does  not  know  the  world ;  he  has 
never  been  out  of  his  village. 

//  faut  placer  le  clocher  au  milieu  de  la  paroisse  =  A 
thing  that  is  intended  for  ail  should  be  placed  within 
the  reach  of  all. 
Course  au  clocher  =  Steeplechase. 

Clocher  (Verb). — //  ne  faut  pas  clocher  devant  les  bolteux  — 
One  should  do  nothing  to  remind  people  of  a  natural 
defect — or  to  make  them  feel  their  inferiority. 

Le  raisonnement  cloche  =  The  argument  is  lame. 

Ce  vers  cloche  —  That  line  halts,  the  measure  is  wrong. 

11  y  a  quelque  chose  qui  cloche  dans  F affaire  =  There  is  a 
hitch  in  the  case. 


92          FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Clos. — Bouchc  c/ose/=Keep  your  own  counsel ! 
En  champ  clos  —  In  the  lists. 

A  huis  clos  =  With  closed  doors,  the  public  being 
excluded. 

Clou. —  Un  clou  chasse  l'autre  =  QnQ  thought,  one  fancy, 
drives  out  another. 

Je  lui  ai  rive  son  clou  =  I  shut  his  mouth.  I  gave  him 
a  clincher. 

//  est  gras  comme  ^m  cent  de  clous  =  He  is  as  thin  as  a 
lath. 

//  a  pu  compter  les  clous  de  la  porte  =  He  was  kept  wait- 
ing a  long  time  at  the  door. 

Ce  sera  le  clou  de  P  Exposition  de  1900  =  11  will  be  the 
wonder  of  wonders  of  the  Exhibition  of  1900. 

Clouer. — La  maladie  continue  de  le  clouer  dans  son  lit= 
Illness  still  confines  him  to  his  bed. 

Cocagne. — Pays  de  cocagne  =  Land  flowing  with  milk  and 

honey. 
Mat  de  cocagne  =  Greased  Maypole. 

Coche. — 11  a  manque  le  coche="Re  missed  the  tide.  He 
let  the  opportunity  slip. 

Cochon. — Camarades  comme  cochons  =  Nery  thick  together. 
Avoir  garde  les  cochons  ensemble  =  To  be  hail  fellow 
well  met. 

Cceur. — A  cceur  vaillant  rien  d*  impossible  =  h.  stout  heart 

can  overcome  all  difficulties. 
//  Pa  fait  a  contre-cceur  =  He  did  it  reluctantly. 
Us  s'en  donnent  a  cceur-joie  —  They  enjoy  themselves  to 

their  heart's  content. 

C'est  un  creve-c(Kur '=It  is  a  heart-burning  thing. 
Elle  a  le  c<zur  gros  =  Her  heart  swells  with  grief. 
//  a  pris  cela  trop  a  c&ur  =  He  got  too  much  affected 

by  it. 

Je  Pai  fait  de  bon  cceur  —  I  did  it  most  willingly. 
Le  cxur  vous  en  dit-il?  —  Have  you  a  mind  to  it? 
//  a  le  cceur  sur  la  main  =  He  is  very  liberal. 
//  a  le  cceur  au  metier  =  He  works  zealously  in  the 

business. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS          93 

Courage,  Seigneur  Bachelier,  cela  va  le  mieux  du  monde. 
Vous  avez,  a  ce  que  je  vois,  le  cceur  au  metier  = 

[Gil  Bias.} 

Well  done,  Signer  Bachelor;  it  goes  on  mighty 
well.  I  see  you  are  quite  fond  of  your  pro- 
fession. 

11  a  le  cceur  sur  les  levres  =  He  is  frank,  open-hearted. 
C'esf  une  affaire  de  cceur  =  It  is  a  love  affair. 
Loin  des  yeux,  loin  du  cceur  =  Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind. 
Elk  y  va  de  tout  cceur  =  She  is  very  hearty  about  it. 
C'esf  un  homme  qui  est  tout  cceur  •—  He  is  of  a  noble  and 

generous  disposition. 
Je  veux  en  avoir  le  cceur  net=  I  mean  to  ascertain  the 

long  and  short  of  it. 
11  a  a  cceur  de  s'en  Men  tirer  =  He  is  anxious  to  succeed 

in  it. 

Cela  me  tient  au  cceur  =  It  rankles  at  my  heart. 
Je  Fai  sur  le  cceur  =  It  lies  heavy  on  my  heart. 
J'ai  aussi  sur  le  cceur  les  coups  de  baton  de  tantbt= 


Nor  can  I  get  over  the  blows  I  received  this  morning. 
//  a  dine  par  cceur  =  He  has  dined  with  Duke  Hum- 

phrey, i.e.,  he  has  had  no  dinner. 
J'ai  mal  au  cceur  =  I  feel  sick. 
Cela  fait  mal  au  cceur  =  \\.  is  sickening. 
II  parle  d'abondance  de  cceur—  He  speaks  frankly. 
Faire  contre  mauvaise  fortune  bon  cceur  =  To  bear  up 

against  bad  fortune. 

Parlez-lui  a  cceur  ouvert—  Speak  to  her  confidently. 
Elk  fait  la  bouche  en  cceur  =  She  gives  herself  affected  airs. 
Mauvaise  tete  et  bon  cceur  =  Light-headed,  kind-hearted. 
Cela  fend  le  cceur  =  That  is  heart-rending. 
Maladie  de  cceur  =  Heart-disease. 

//  a  le  cceur  bien  place  =  His  heart  is  in  the  right  place. 
//  a  le  cceur  haut  et  la  fortune  basse  =  He  is  proud  and 

poor. 

De  gaiete  de  cceur  =  Wantonly,  for  wanton  sport. 
Nous  nous  parlions  cceur  a  cceur  =  We  were  talking 

together  without  restraint. 


94          FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Elle  ne  mache  pas  ce  qrfelle  a  sur  le  cceur  =  She  does  not 

mince  matters. 
Cceur  qui  soupire  n'a  point  ce  qu'il  desire  =  A  sighing 

heart  is  never  contented. 
Cceur  de  biche  ne  gagna  jamais  cceur  de  belle  =  A  faint 

heart  never  won  fair  lady. 

Faire  le  joli  cceur  =  To  play,  or  do,  the  agreeable. 
Au  cceur  de  Vhiver—  In  the  depth  of  winter. 

Ne  jetez  pas  le  manche  apres  la  cognee  =  'Do  not 
give  it  up  in  despair.      Do  not  throw  the  handle 
after  the  hatchet. 
Ilest  a  lie  au  bois  sans  cogn'ee  =  He  did  not  provide  himself 
with  the  requisites.     He  went  to  sea  without  biscuit. 
Coi. — 11  Jest  tenu  <w  =  He  remained  quiet. 
Coiff&* — 11  est  ne  coiffe  — ^(.^  was  born  with  a  silver  spoon 

in  his  mouth. 
//  est  coiffe  de  cette  femme  =  He  is  bewitched  with  that 

woman. 

Elle  a  coiffe  Sainte  Catherine  =  She  remains  an  old  maid. 
Coin. — Ces  vers  sont  marques  au  bon  coin  =  These  verses 

bear  the  right  stamp. 

//  regarde  les  gens  du  coin  de  I' ceil  =  He  has  a  con- 
temptuous way  of  looking  at  people. 
Going. — Elle  est  jaune  comme  un  coing—l^ei  complexion 

is  very  yellow. 

Colin-Maillard.t — C'estun  vrai  Colin~Maillard—\\.  is  a 
regular  game  of  blindman's  buff. 


*  &tre  ne  coiffe,  to  be  born  to  good  luck,  literally,  with  a  caul  on. 
It  is  well  known  that  amongst  sailors  (as  recorded  in  Grose's  Super- 
stitions, i.  45)  the  possession  of  a  caul  is  said  to  be  a  preservative 
against  drowning. 

t  fean  Colin- Maiilard  was  a  famous  warrior,  living  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  loth  century,  who  owed  the  second  portion  of  his  name  to  the 
mallet  which  was  his  favourite  weapon,  and  which  he  wielded  with 
singular  vigour  and  skill.  His  exploits  procured  him  the  honour  of 
being  knighted  by  Robert,  King  of  France,  in  999.  In  his  last  battle 
against  a  certain  Count  of  Louvain,  he  got  both  his  eyes  put  out ;  but 
this,  we  are  told,  did  not  prevent  his  continuing  the  fight  to  the  end, 
with  the  guidance  of  his  equerries.  The  invention  of  the  game  of 
Colin- Maillard  doubtless  refers  to  the  memory  of  this  brave  warrior. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          95 

Colin-Tampon.* — //  s'en  moque  comme  de  Colin-Tampon 

=  He  does  not  care  a  fig  about  it. 
Collet. — La  police  lui  a  mis  la  main  sur  le  collet—  He  was 

arrested  by  the  police. 

Elle  n'esf  pas  collet-monte  =  §\vs,  is  not  prudish. 
//  est  vrai  que  le  mot  est  bien  collet-monte  — 

[MOLIERE.] 

The  word,  it  is  true,  is  stiff  and  affected. 
Collier. — //  est  franc  du  collier  =  He  is  frank  and  brave. 
Merci  de  votre  precieux  coup  de  collier  =  Thanks  for  your 

valuable  assistance. 
//  s'agit  de  reprendre  le  collier  de  misere  =  We  must  go 

back  to  drudgery. 

Colombier. — //  attire  les  pigeons  au  colombier='Re  draws 
in  customers. 

Combat. — £fae  hors  de  combat  =  To   be   exhausted,  in- 
capable of  further  fight. 
Le  combat  finit  faute  de  combattant  =  The  end  came 

through  sheer  exhaustion. 

Comble  (Subst.). — La  Bastille  fut  detruite  de  fond  en  comble 
=  The  Bastille  was  completely  destroyed,  i.e.,  from 
the  foundation  to  the  roof. 

Us  sont  ruin'es  de  fond  en  comble  =  They  are  utterly  ruined. 
Cela  peut  s'appeler  le  comble  de  la  deveine  =  This  may  be 

called  the  height  of  ill-luck. 
Au  comble  du  malheur,  que  peut-on  redouter?  = 

[CRESSET.] 

In  the  depth  of  misfortune,  what  more  can  be 
dreaded  ? 

Elle  a  mis  le  comble  a  ses  &ontes  =  $he  has  filled  the 
measure  of  her  kindnesses. 

Pour  comble  de  malheur,  il perdit  sa  position  —  To  com- 
plete his  misery,  he  lost  his  situation. 

C'est  un  fomb/e  —  Thai  crowns  all.  That  is  the  finish- 
ing stroke. 


*  Colin-  Tampon  seems  to  have  been  a  nickname  formerly  given  to 
the  Swiss  Guards,  the  word  being  supposed  to  represent  the  sound  of 
their  drums. 


96          FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 


Comble  (Adj.).  —  La  mesure  est  comble  =  The  measure  of 

his  iniquities  is  overflowing, 
La  salle  etait  comb  •/<?  =  The  hall  was  crowded. 
ComeMie.  —  C'esf  une  comedie  =  It  is  a  complete  farce. 

Partout  ou  il  va,  il  donne  la  comedie  =  He  makes  him- 

self ridiculous  everywhere. 

Comit^.  —  Nous  avons  dine  en  petit  comite  =  We  had  a 
private  dinner-party  of  intimate  friends. 

Commande.  —  C'esf  un  ouvrage  fait  sur  commande  =  I\.  is  a 
work  made  to  order. 

Commander.  —  Lhomme  doit  commander  a  ses  passions  = 

Man  should  master  his  passions. 
//  commande  a  la  baguette  =  He  is  very  imperious. 
La  Tour  Eiffel  commande  tout  Paris  =  ^\^Q  Eiffel  Tower 

overlooks  all  Paris. 
SC  Commander.  —  L  inspiration  ne  se  commande  pas  — 

[MERIMEE.] 

Inspiration  must  come  of  itself. 

Comme.  —  Comment  allez-vous?  —  Comme  cela  =  How  are 

you  ?  —  Pretty  well. 

J'etais  comme  mort—  I  was  almost  dead. 
//  riest  pas  precisement  perdu,  mats  <?est  tout  comme  =  It 

is  not  absolutely  all  over  with  him,  but  it  is  all  but 
C'esf  comme  qui  dirait  de  Paris  a  Rouen  =  It  is  as  it 

were  from  Paris  to  Rouen. 

//  I'a  fait,  Dieu  sait  comme  —  He  did  it,  after  a  fashion. 
Je  lui  ai  explique  comme  quoi  la  chose  etait  impossible  = 

I   explained   to   him   how  it  was  the  thing   could 

not  be. 
Comme  on  fait  son  lit  on  se  couche  =  As  you  make  your 

bed,  so  you  must  lie. 

Commencement.  —  II  y  a  commencement  a  tout=  Every- 

thing must  have  a  beginning. 

Heureux  commencement  est   la  moitie  de  I'ceuvre  =  A 
good  beginning  is  half  the  battle. 

Commencer.  —  IV'a  pas  fait  qui  commence  =  To  begin  is 

not  everything. 
A  moitie  fait  qui  commence  bien  =  Well  begun,  half  ended. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS          97 

Comment. —  Vous  voukz  toujours  savoir  k  pourquoi  et  k 
comment  =  You  always  want  to  know  the  why  and 
the  wherefore. 

Comment  done  ?  Mais  certainement  —  How  so  ?  Why, 
of  course. 

Commentaire. — Cela  se  passe  de  commentaires  =  T\\&  case 

speaks  for  itself. 

Point  de  commentaires,  s>il  vous  plait—  No  impertinent 
remarks,  if  you  please. 

Commerce. — Ce  sont  de  braves  gens  d'un  commerce  siir  = 
They  are  worthy  people,  whose  discretion  may  be 
relied  upon. 

II  cherche  a  ceder  son  fonds  de  commerce  =  He  is  trying  to 
part  with  his  business. 

Com  mere.  —  Tout  se  fait,  tout  va  par  compere  et  par  corn- 
mere  =  Everything  is  done  by  favour,  by  recom- 
mendation. 

Le  monde  ne  se  gouverne  quepar  compare  etpar  commere  = 

[FREDERIC  II.] 

The  world  is  entirely  ruled   by   personal    conside- 
rations. 

Commis. — Commis  voyageur  =  A  commercial  traveller. 

Commode. — //  n'est  pas  toujours  commode  =  He  is  not 

always  comeatable,  well-disposed. 
Voila  qui  est  commode  [ironically]  =  Well,  that's  very 
cool ! 

Commun. — Le  commun  des  morteJs  =  The  generality  of 
men. 

Uun  commun  accord—  By  common  consent. 

D'une  commune  voix  =  Unanimously. 

//  est  du  commun  des  martyrs  =  There  is  nothing  to 
distinguish  him  from  the  crowd. 

L'dne  du  commun  est  toujours  k  plus  malbat'e  [See  ANE] 
=  Matters  of  public  concern  are  generally  the  most 
neglected. 

Qui  serf  au  commun  serf  a  pas  un  —  What  is  every- 
body's business  is  nobody's. 

VOL.  I.  G 


98          FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Compagnie. — Us  sont  de  bonne  compagnie  =  T\\&y  are  well 

bred. 
Ne  nous  faussez  pas  compagnie  =  Don't   break   your 

promise  to  join  us.     Don't  give  us  the  slip. 
//  vaut  mieux  fare  seul  qiJen  mauvaise  compagnie  = 

Better  be  alone  than  badly  attended. 
//  n'y  a  si  bonne  compagnie  qdil  ne  faille  quitter  —  The 

best  friends  must  part. 
Compagnon. — Qui  a  compagnon  a  mattre  =  No  man  can 

always  have  his  own  way  with  associates. 
C'esf  un  joyeux  compagnon  =  He  is  a  merry  fellow. 
I  Is  se  traitent  de  pair  a  compagnon  =  They  go  cheek  by 

jowl. 
Us  ont  tra-vaille  a  depeche  compagnon  =  They  worked 

with  careless  haste. 

Comparaison. — Comparaison  riestpas  raison  =  A  compari- 
son proves  nothing. 
Compas. — //  a  le  compas  dans  Fceil=  He  has  a  good  eye 

for  distances. 

Us  font  tout  par  regie  et  par  compas  =  They  are  very 
particular.    They  do  everything  by  rule  and  compass. 
Compare. — C'esf  un  ruse  comp£re='Re  is  a  cunning  dog. 
Compliment. — -Je  vous  en  fais  mon  compliment  [ironical]  = 

I  wish  you  joy. 
Composition. — //  esf  enfin  venu  ci,  composition  =  He  at  last 

came  to  terms. 
Compote. — Le  malheureux  avait  les  yeux  en  compote  = 

The  wretched  fellow's  eyes  were  black  and  blue. 
Comptant. — Argent  comptant  =  Ready  money. 

D'abord,  V argent  en  main,  paye,  et  vite  et  comptant = 

[BOILEAU,  Satires.} 
First  of  all,  with  your  money  in  hand,  pay  quickly 

and  ready  money. 

Compte. — -J*ai  mon  compte  =  I  have  my  due. 
Son  compte  est  regie  —  He  is  done  for. 
Vous  y  trouverez  votre  compte  =  You  will  find  it  to  your 

advantage. 

A  bon  compte  —  At  a  small  cost.     On  easy  terms. 
Cela  fera  un  compte  rond=\\.  will  make  even  money. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS  99 

Vous  etes  fort  loin  de  compte=-^lo\\  are  quite  out  in  your 

reckoning. 

Le  compte  est  arrete  =  The  account  is  agreed  upon. 
Rendez-vous  bien  compte  qu'en  donnant  aux  mendiants 

des  rues,  vous  ne  faites  pas  la  charite,  mais  le  con- 

traire  de  la  charite  =  Just  understand  this,  that  in 

giving  alms  to  the  beggars  in  the  streets,  you  are  not 

practising  charity,  but  you  are  doing  the  reverse  of  it. 
Au  bout  du  compte  =  After  all.     Upon  the  whole. 
Erreur  n' est  pas  compte  =  Errors  excepted. 
A  tout  bon  compte  revemr=Qne  has  a  right  to  control 

an  account,  i.e.,  to  go  again  over  it. 
Us  operent  de  compte  a  demi  =  They  are  partners  in  the 

enterprise. 

A  chacun  son  compte  =  To  every  one  his  due. 
Cela  ne  faisait  pas  leur  compte  —  That  did  not  answer 

their  purpose. 
II y  en  a  vingt,  tous  comptes  faits  —  There  are  twenty  of 

them,  in  reckoning  accurately,  all  told. 
II  faut  tenir  compte  de  P  inexperience  de  fajeunesse  =  We 

must  take  into  account — make  allowance  for — the 

inexperience  of  youth. 
//  ne  tient  ni  compte  ni  mesure  =  He  leaves  everything 

at  sixes  and  sevens. 
Je prends  cela  sur  mon  compte  —  I  hold  myself  responsible 

for  that. 

Vous  nfen  rendrez  compte— You  shall  answer  for  it. 
Je  sais  a  quoi  m'en  tenir  sur  son  compte  —  I  know  what 

to  think  of  him. 
Le  prince  fait  grand  compte  de  /&/  =  The  prince  values 

him  very  much. 
J I  faut  leur  rendre  compte  de  tout=Q\\e  must  account 

^  to  them  for  everything. 
A  ce  compte- la  =  Such  being  the  case. 
Pour  solde  de  compte  =  In  settlement  of  account. 
Mettez  cela  en  ligne  de  compte  =  Take  that  into  account. 
Les  bans  comptes  font  les  bons  amis  —  Short  reckonings 

make  long  friends. 
Je  voulais  me  rendre  compte  de  P  affaire  =  I  wanted  to 

get  a  clear  idea  of  the  case. 


100       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Compte". — Marcher  a  pas  cotnptes  =  n£o>  walk  with  measured 

steps,  deliberately. 

Tout  compte,  tout  rabattu  =  After  careful  investigation. 
Brebis  comptees,  le  loup  ks  mange  =  In  spite  of  careful 
reckoning,  one  gets  robbed. 

Compter. — A  compter  de  demain  =  From  to-morrow.     Be- 
ginning from  to-morrow. 
On  lui  compte  les  morceaux  =  They  only  give  him  the 

strictly  necessary. 
Nous  comptons  partir  demain  —  We  propose  setting  out 

to-morrow. 

Qui  compte  sans  son  hote  compte  deux  fois  =  He  who 
reckons  without  his  host,  must  reckon  over  again. 
Count  not  your  chickens  before  they  are  hatched. 

SC  Concevoir. — Cela  se  «?»/»#=  That  is  easily  accounted 
for. 

Concourir. — Tout  concourt  a  sa  ruine  =  Everything  con- 
spires to  his  ruin. 

Concurrence. — Je  me  suis  forte  caution  pour  lui  jusqu'a 
concurrence  de  dix  nolle  francs  =  I  became  security 
for  him  to  the  extent  of  ten  thousand  francs. 

Condamnation. — Condamnation  par  defaut—  Judgment 
by  default. 

Condamner. — -J'ai  Vintention  de  condamner  cette  porte  et 
cette  fenetre  =  \  intend  to  have  this  door  nailed  up, 
and  this  window  blocked  up. 

Condition. — Le  "  Bon  Marche "  et  les  "  Magasins  du 
Louvre  "  livrent  trh-obligeamment  leurs  marchandises 
a  condition  =  The  "  Bon  Marche  "  and  the  "  Maga- 
sins du  Louvre  "  most  obligingly  deliver  their  goods 
on  condition  of  their  being  taken  back  if  not 
approved. 

"  Conditionnel."  * — Le  bruit  court  que  la  forteresse  aurait 

*  This  idiomatic  use  of  the  conditional,  which  I  have  never  seen 
alluded  to  in  any  educational  work,  is  very  peculiar.     It  implies  a 
doubt  in  the  accuracy  of  a  report,  or  in  the  probability  of  a  surmise. 
Filippo  concourrait  ?  [COPPEE.] 

Is  it  possible  that  F.  will  compete  ? 
On  the  other  hand,  in  the  rendering  of  English  into  French,  the 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        IO1 

ete  emportee  (Passant—  There  is  a  rumour  that  the 

fortress  has  been  carried  by  storm. 
Ferait-elle  des  vceux  pour  mon  succes  ?  =  [COPPEE.] 

Can  it  be  that  she  is  anxious  for  my  success  ? 
Conduire. — Permettez-moi   de    vous   conduire  jusque   chez 

voiis  =  Allow  me  to  see  you  home. 
//  conduit  bien  sa  barque  =  He  manages  his  affairs  well. 
//    conduit    la    barque  =  It    is    he   who    directs    the 

concern. 
Conduisez  monsieur  au  salon  —  Show  the  gentleman  to 

the  drawing-room. 

//  suit  tres-bien  conduire  =  He  is  a  very  good  whip. 
//  conduit  a  grandes  guides  —  He  drives  four-in-hand. 
Elle  conduit  a  deux  et  a  quatre  =  She  drives  a  pair  and 

a  four-in-hand. 
Conduite.— Nous  vous  ferons  tous  la  conduite  =  VJe  shall 

all  see  you  off. 
Confesser. —  Une  faute  confessee  est  a  demi  pardonnee  = 

A  fault  confessed  is  half  forgiven. 
C'est  le  diable  a  confesser=  It  is  a  very  hard  job. 
Confession. — On  lui  donnerait  le  bon  Dieu  sans  confession 

=  He  looks  so  innocent,  one  would  trust  him  to  any 

extent. 
SC  Confirmer. — II y  a  de  Fespoir :  le  mieux  se  confirme  = 

There  is  hope :  he  continues  to  get  better. 


conditional  is  rationally  substituted  for  the  preterite,  which,  in  certain 
English  constructions,  presents  a  striking  anomaly.  For  instance, 
being  given  this  sentence  :  "A  prize  had  been  offered  to  the  first  man 
who  detected  a  crocodile,"  the  English  preterite  "detected"  must  be 
replaced  in  French  by  the  conditional,  the  only  tense  which  can  be 
held  correct  here  :  "  Un  prix  avait  ete  offert  au  premier  marin  qui 
decouvrirait  un  crocodile."  Again,  in  a  sentence  like  this  :  "  You  had 
promised  to  look  me  up  the  next  time  you  came  this  way,"  the  preterite 
"  came  "  is  undoubtedly  illogical,  and  in  French  we  must  say  :  "  Vous 
aviez  promis  de  venir  me  voir  la  prochaine  fois  que  vous  passcricz  par 
ici."  The  conditional  is  meant — the  conditional  must  be  used.  There 
should  be  concordancy  between  the  time  implied  and  the  tense  em- 
ployed. 

In  the  same  way,  a  sentence  like  this  :  "Think  of  it  when  next  you 
write  "  must  be  rendered  :  Pensez-y  la  prochaine  fois  que  vous  ecrirez. 
The  future  is  meant — the  future  must  be  used. 


102       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Confondre. — //  ne  faut  pas  confondre  autour  avec  alentour 
(familiar)  =  One  must  not  mix  up  two  things  entirely 
different. 

Conge*. — •//  a  donne  conge  =  He  has  given  warning. 
//  a  recu  conge  —  He  has  received  notice  to  quit. 

CongTU. — Elk  en  est  reduite  a  la  portion  congrue  =  She  is 
reduced  to  a  meagre  pittance. 

Conjurer. — Pour  conjurer  le   danger  =  To  ward   off  the 

danger. 
Connaissance.  —  En    connaissance   de   cause  =  With    a 

thorough  knowledge  of  the  matter. 
Nous  nous  trouvions  en  pays  de  connaissance  =  We  were 

among  old  acquaintances. 
Elle  perdit  connaissance  =  She  fainted. 

Connaitre. — 11  est  connu  comme  le  loup  blanc  =  Everybody 

knows  him. 
Je  ne  le  connais  ni  d'Eve^  ni  d'Adam  =  He  is  quite  a 

stranger  to  me. 

//  gagne  aetre  connu  =  ~H.e  improves  on  acquaintance. 
Tous  les  articles  sont  marques  en  chiffres  connus  =  All 

articles  are  marked  in  plain  figures. 
Connu  !  =  You  needn't  tell  me  !     That's  an  old  story  ! 

That  won't  do ! 
La  botanique,  fa  me  connait  (familiar)  =  I  am  at  home 

in  botany,  I  know  something  about  it. 

SC  Connaitre. — Je  -nfy  connais  =  I  know  what  I  am  about. 
Vous  connaissez-vous  en   chevaux  ? '  =  Are  you  a  judge 
of  horse-flesh?     Are  you  a  connoisseur  in  horse- 
flesh? 
21  ne  se  connaissait  plus  =  ^Q  was  beside  himself. 

Conseil. — La   nuit  porte  c0nsett=Take  counsel  of  your 

pillow. 
A  parti  pris  pas  de  conseil—  Advice  is  useless  to  one 

who  has  made  up  his  mind. 
A  chose  faite  conseil  pris  =  Advice  after  the  deed  is 

done  is  superfluous. 
Cet  homme  a  bientot  assemble  son  conseil—  That  man 

acts  on  his  own  impulse. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        103 

Conseiller. — Aimez  qtfon  vous  conseille,  et  non  pas  qu'on 
vous  loue=  [BOILEAU.] 

Seek  advice,  not  praise. 

Conseilleur.  — Les  conseilleurs  ne  sont  pas  les  payeurs=\\. 
is  one  thing  to  give  advice,  it  is  quite  another  to  take 
the  responsibility. 

Consentir. — Qui  ne  dit  mot  consent  =  Silence  gives  consent. 

Consequence. — Cela  ne  tire  pas  a  consequence  =  That  is  of 

no  consequence. 
Sa  legerete  ne  tire  pas  a  consequence  =  Her  giddiness  is 

innocent  enough. 
Cela  ne  doit  pas  tirer  a  consequence  =  That  must  not  be 

quoted  as  a  precedent. 

Consigne. — Mettez  votre  bagage  a  la  consigne  =  Leave  your 
luggage  in  the  cloak-room. 

Consigner. — Les  troupes  sont  consignees =  The  troops  are 

confined  in  their  barracks. 

Je  Pai  consigne  a  ma  porte  —- 1  have  given  orders  not  to 
let  him  in. 

Contact. — //  vous  faut  prendre  contact  avec  vos  electeurs=- 
You  must  put  yourself  in  touch  with  your  electors. 

Conte. —  Un  conte  a  dormir  debout—  A  silly  story — an  old 

woman's  tale. 
Un  conte  de  ma  Mere  /'<%  =  A  Mother  Goose's  tale. 

Contenance. — Ne  perdez  pas   contenance  =  Do    not   be 

abashed. 
Ne  lui  faites  pas  perdre  contenance  =  Don't  put  her  out 

of  countenance. 
Sa  contenance  etait  si  bonne,  que  je  resolus  aussi,  moit 

de  faire  bonne  contenance  =  [VICTOR  HUGO.] 

His  face  was  so  good  that  I  too  resolved  to  put 
a  good  face  upon  the  matter. 

Contentement.— Contentement  passe  richesse  =  Content  is 
beyond  riches. 

Contenter. —  On  ne  saurait  contenter  tout  le  monde  et  son 
pere  =  One  cannot  please  all  the  world  and  his  wife. 


104       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Center. —  Vous  nous  en  contez  de  belles  =  You  are  trifling 

with  us  ;  you  are  telling  us  fine  stories. 
C'est  un  matin  a  qui  on  n'en  conte  pas=  He  is  a  sharp 
fellow,  not  to  be  taken  in. 

Contrat. — Le  contrat  de  manage  est  redige  =  The  marriage 
articles  are  drawn  up. 

Centre. — -Je  le  defendrai  envers  et  contre  tous  =  I  will  defend 

him  against  all  comers. 

21  y  a  du  pour  et  du  contre  =  Much  may  be  said  pro 
and  con. 

Contre-partie. — Quoi  qu'on  lui  dise,  il  prend  toujours  la 

contre-partie  —  He  always  misconstrues  what  is  said 

to  him. 
Contre-pied. — -//  a  pris  justement  le  contre-pied=  He  has 

done  exactly  the  reverse. 
Controle. — //  a  ete  raye  des  controles  =  He  was  struck  out 

of  the  lists. 
Controler. — Ce  bijou  ri  est  pas  controle  =  ^\\v->  jewel  is  not 

hall-marked. 
Converti. —  Vous  prechez  tin  converti  =  You  are  trying  to 

persuade  a  man  already  convinced. 
Coq. — //  est  heureux  comme  un  coq  en  pate  —  He  is  in  clover 

[literally,  like  a  cock  that  is  being  fattened].     He  is 

as  happy  as  a  fighting  cock. 
//  etait  rouge  comme  un  coq  =  He  was  as  red  as  a 

turkey-cock. 

C'esf  le  coq  du  village  =  He  is  the  cock  of  the  walk. 
Des  coq-a-l'dne  =  Cock  and  bull  stories. 
Coqueluche.* — 11  est  la  coqueluche  desfemmes=He  is  the 

favourite  of  the  sex. 


*  Eire  la  coqueluche  de  la  cotir,  de  la  ville,  du  quartier,  du  tht&tre, 
to  be  a  great  favourite  at  court,  in  town,  in  the  district,  or  among  the 
habitual  frequenters  of  the  theatre. 

The  coqueluchon  or  coqueluche  was  a  kind  of  hood  very  generally 
worn  at  certain  periods  of  the  year,  which  seems  to  have  given  its  name 
to  the  hooping-cough,  because  those  who  were  attacked  by  that  illness 
wore  a  coqueluche  or  monk's  hood  to  keep  their  head  warm.  The 
wearing  of  this  hood  soon  spread,  and  became  an  article  of  fashion, 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        105 

Coquerico. — Entendez-vous  Veternel  coquerico  de  ce  fail  — 
Do  you  hear  that  fop's  everlasting  cock-a-doodle-do  ? 

Coquetterie. — 11 est  en  coquetterie  reglee  avecce  parti  =~K& 
is  regularly  coquetting  with  that  party. 

Coquille. — Les  howmes  les  plus  defiants  ont  souvent  des 
coquilles  sur  les  yeux  —  The  most  mistrustful  men  are 
often  stone-blind. 

//  est  rentre  dans  sa  coquille  —  He  drew  in  his  horns. 

//  ne  fait  que  sortir  de  sa  coquille  =  He  is  very  young — 
(  hardly  out  of  his  egg's  shell. 

A  qui  vendez-vous  vos  coquilles  ?  =  Do  not  flatter  your- 
self that  you  will  do  me. 

Portez  a  d'autres  vos  coquilles  =  No  tricks  upon  travellers. 

//  fait  bien  valoir  ses  coquilles  —  He  makes  the  best  of 
his  merit. 

//  ne  donne  pas  ses  coquilles  —  He  does  not  give  away 
his  goods. 

Je  vois  plusieurs  coquilles  sur  cette  epreuve  —  I  see  several 
wrong  letters  on  this  (printer's)  proof. 

Les  traducteurs  etrangers  nous  donnent  parfois  d'amu- 
santes  coquilles*  —  Foreign  translators  sometimes 
favour  us  with  amusing  blunders. 


especially  amongst  women,  and  thus  it  came  to  be  said  of  a  man  who 
is  a  general  favourite  with  the  fair  sex,  that  "  toutes  les  femmes  en  sont 
coiffees,"  and  that  he  is  their  "  coqueluche,"  See  higher  up  the  foot- 
note on  "  Coiffe." 

*  A  long  list  might  be  drawn  up  of  blunders  in  translations  from 
one  language  into  another.  Two  samples  are  given  farther  on  in  the 
footnotes  on  "  Mieux  "  and  "  Montre."  But  for  that  matter,  natives 
are  also  apt  to  amuse  us  occasionally  with  the  queerest  blunders,  as 
for  instance,  when  the  late  celebrated  French  critic,  J.  J.,  spoke  of  the 
lobster  as  le  cardinal  de  la  mer,  forgetting  for  the  moment,  with  true 
journalistic  precipitancy,  that  this  excellent  crustacean  is  red  only  when 
boiled,  and  does  not  at  all  remind  one  of  a  Prince  of  the  Church  by  its 
normal  garb  in  the  sea. 

With  regard  to  printer's  coquilles,  I  am  in  a  position  to  assert,  after 
a  very  long  connection  as  teacher  or  examiner  with  many  of  the  leading 
English  Public  Schools,  that  they  are  mere  flea-bites  in  comparison 
with  the  schoolboy's  coquilles,  witness,  inter  imdta  alia,  the  case  of  that 
supercilious  alumnus,  evidently  with  Tory  propensities,  who  dismissed 
an  Essay  (?)  on  Horace  Walpole  with  this  laconic  statement :  Suffice 
to  say  that  Horace  Walpole  was  a  Wig  (sic !). 


106       FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Coquin. — O  rheureux  coquin  /  =  O  the  lucky  dog  ! 

Cor. —  On  le  demandait  a  cor  et  a  cri=They  were  clamour- 
ing for  it  [literally,  With  horn  and  cry,  as  game  is 

pursued]. 
On  vous  cherche  a  cor  et  a  crt  =  They  are  looking  for 

you  with  hue  and  cry. 
Corde. — //  a  plusieurs  cordes  a  son  arc  =  He  has  more 

than  one  string  to  his  bow. 

Un  habit  use  jus gu' a  la  corde  =  k  threadbare  coat. 
Ce  tour  est  use  jusqu*a  la  cor 'de  =  That  is  a  stale  trick. 
Cette  excuse  montre  la   corde  =  That   excuse   is   very 

shallow. 

Cet  homme  montre  la  corde  =  That  man  is  at  his  last  shift. 
Pour  lefer,  <?est  toujours  F  Angleterre  qui  tient  la  corde 

=  With  regard  to  iron,  England  continues  to  lead 

the  way. 
Vous  a-vez  touche  la  corde  sensible =  You  have  touched 

the  sore  point. 
Vous  avez  touche  la  grosse  corde  =  You  have  hit  the 

main  point  of  the  question. 

Ne  touchez  pas  a  cette  corde  =  Don't  allude  to  that  topic. 
11 y  allait  de  la  corde  =  It  was  a  hanging  matter. 
II file  sa  corde  =  He  has  the  gallows  in  his  face. 
//  a  frise  la  corde  =  He  has  had  a  narrow  escape. 
//  a  de  la  corde  de  pendu  dans  sa  poche  *  =  He  has  luck 

in  a  bag.     He  has  the  devil's  own  luck. 


*  It  would  be  difficult  to  give  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the 
popular  notion  which  ascribes  luck  to  a  suicide's  rope.  But  it  is  a  fact 
that  many  people  still  adhere  to  that  old  prejudice,  and,  for  my  part, 
I  happen  to  know  several  ladies,  mostly  from  Eastern  Europe,  who 
always  carry  a  small  piece  of  corde  de  pendu  in  their  purse,  for  the  sake 
of  the  good  luck  it  is  supposed  to  confer.  Indeed,  a  Hungarian  lady 
once  insisted  on  presenting  me  with  an  authentic  fragment  of  such  a 
cord,  but  I  must  say  that  I  never  felt  the  good  effect  of  that  lugubrious 
talisman.  Perhaps  the  faith  was  wanting  in  me. 

As  an  instance  of  the  eagerness  with  which  the  superstition  still 
prevails,  we  read  that  but  a  few  years  ago,  a  machinist  employed  at 
the  Grand  Opera  having  hanged  himself  in  the  basement,  some  of  the 
ladies  of  the  theatre  hastened  to  the  spot,  and  before  a  magistrate  had 
had  time  to  arrive,  they  contrived  to  carry  away  the  whole  of  the  fatal 
rope,  for  division  among  themselves  ! 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        107 

//  ne  faut  point  parler  de  corde  dans  la  maison  d'un 
pendu  =  One  must  not  make  remarks  or  statements 
which  might  be  taken  as  a  reproachful  hint  to  per- 
sons present. 

Vous  verrez  beau  jeu,  si  la  corde  ne  rompt=^ou  shall 
see  surprising  things,  if  no  hitch  occurs. 

//  va  se  mettre  la  corde  au  cou  =  He  is  going  to  expose 
himself  to  great  danger. 

Us  se  sont  rendus  la  corde  au  cou  =  They  surrendered 
unconditionally. 

Ce  sont  des  gens  de  sac  et  de  corde  *  =  They  are  downright 
villains,  desperate  characters. 

A  trop  tirer,  la  corde  casse  =  A  bow  long  bent  at  last 
waxeth  weak. 

Cordeatl. — Les  rues  de  Turin  sont  tirees  au  cordeau  =  The 
streets  of  Turin  are  as  straight  as  arrows. 

Cordelier. — 11  a  la  conscience  large  comme  la  manche  d'un 
Co rdelier  =  His  conscience  is  unscrupulously  elastic 
[literally,  as  wide  as  a  Franciscan  friar's  sleeve]. 

Aller  sur  la  mule  des  Cordeliers  =  To  travel  on  foot. 

Ilestgris  comme  un  Cordelier^  =  He  is  as  drunk  as  a  lord. 

Parler  latin  devant  les  Cordeliers  =  To  speak  with 
assurance  on  a  subject  one  does  not  know  before 
people  who  are  well  up  in  it. 

Cordon.— On  le  tient  par  les  cordons  —  He  is  led  like  a 

child. 

11  ne  delie  pas  volontiers  les  cordons  de  sa  bourse  =  He 
does  not  come  out  readily  with  his  money. 


*  A  man  is  said  to  be  "de  sac  et  de  corde,"  to  express  his  being 
capable  of  any  foul  deed  deserving  of  capital  punishment.  In  olden 
times,  the  criminals  that  had  been  hanged  were  put  into  a  sack  and 
cast  into  the  sea.  Hence  the  blending  of  the  sack  and  the  rope  in  this 
proverbial  expression. 

+  This  popular  and  of  course  perfectly  unfounded  saying — I  am 
concerned  only  with  the  French  proverb — is  clearly  to  be  traced  to  an 
unwarrantable  double  entente  on  the  word  gris,  which  means  "  tipsy" 
as  well  as  "grey,"  the  colour  worn  formerly  by  the  Franciscans,  other- 
wise Greyfriars.  It  will  be  allowed,  however,  that  the  next  quotation, 
"  Parler  latin,"  &c.,  does  justice,  by  way  of  compensation,  to  the 
classical  knowledge  of  the  Carthusian  Older. 


108       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Le  cordon,  s'il  vous  plait  —  The  door,  if  you  please. 
Ma  cuisiniere  est  un  cordon  l>/eu  *  =  I  have  a  first-rate 

cook. 
Come. — -J'&ifait  une  corne  a  ma  carte  =  I  turned  down  the 

corner  of  my  visiting  card. 
Ne  faites  pas  de  cornes  a  ce  livre  =  Don't  dog's-ear  that 

book. 
Corneille. — Allans,  vous,  vous  revez,  etbayez  aux  corneilles  = 

[MOI.lfeRE.] 

Come,  you  there,  you  are  dreaming  and  gaping  in 

the  air. 
Corner. — On  le  lui  a  assez  corne  aux  oreilles  =  It  was  dinned 

enough  into  his  ears. 
Les  oreilles  ont  du  bien  vous  corner =  Your  ears  must 

have  tingled. 

Cornichon.  —  On  a  ete  jusqrfa  le  traiter  de  cornichon 
[familiar]  =  They  went  so  far  as  to  call  him  a 
greenhorn. 


*  As  it  has  been  philosophically  remarked,  it  is  a  striking  instance 
of  the  uncertainty  of  human  things  that  the  word  cordon  bleu,  with 
its  ancient  noble  associations,  should  have  completely  disappeared  from 
our  institutions  and  our  language,  to  be  preserved  only  as  a  flattering 
epithet  for  a  skilful  cook. 

The  "  Blue  Ribbon  "  referred  originally  to  the  most  exalted  Order  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  created  in  1578  by  King  Henri  III.,  and  blended  by 
His  Majesty  with  the  Order  of  St.  Michael,  which  had  been  founded 
in  1469  by  Louis  XI.  That  very  exclusive  Order  consisted  only  of  one 
hundred  members,  and  the  King  of  France  was  its  Grand-Master.  The 
ribbon  was  worn  slung  over  the  left  shoulder,  and  the  Knights  were 
generally  spoken  of  as  Cordons  b/eus,  whilst  the  Knights  of  the  Order 
of  St.  Louis  were  called  Cordons  rouges. 

This  blue  ribbon  being  a  most  special  distinction  [very  different  in 
every  respect  from  certain  ribbons,  red,  violet,  and  so  forth,  that  adorn 
the  coat,  and  overcoat  too,  of  so  many  of  our  contemporaries  of  all 
nationalities  and  professions],  and  being  reserved  for  a  very  limited 
number  of  personages  who  occupied  a  high  rank  in  French  society,  the 
custom  was  eventually  introduced  of  giving,  by  analogy,  the  name  of 
Cordon  bleu  to  individuals  of  superior  merit,  down  to  professional 
cooks.  And  thus  it  has  come  to  pass  that,  whilst  the  most  noble  Order 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  after  having  been  abolished  at  the  Great  Revolu- 
tion, and  re-established  at  the  Restoration  in  1815,  finally  disappeared 
in  1830,  the  designation  of  "Cordon  bleu"  has  survived  amongst  the 
adepts  of  Vatel,  Careme,  and  Brillat-Savarin. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        1 09 

Corps. — J'ai  le  corps  brise,  moulu  —  I  feel  knocked  up, 

exhausted. 

Je  prends  trap  de  corps  =  I  am  getting  too  stout. 
Us  ont  lutte  corps  a  corps  =  They  fought  hand  to  hand. 
Jl  s'est  elance  a  corps  perdu  =  He  rushed  headlong. 
//  s'est  jete  a  corps  perdu  dans  cette  a/aire  =  He  threw 

^  himself  with  might  and  main  into  that  enterprise. 
A  bras  le  corps  =  Round  the  waist. 
C'esf  un  drole  de  corps  =  He  is  a  queer  fellow. 
Je  rat  fait  a  mon  corps  defendant  =\  did  it  reluctantly, 

in  self-defence. 
J*ai  voulu  voir  ce  qu'il  avait  dans  le  corps  =  I  wanted  to 

see  what  he  was  made  of. 

II faut  avoir  le  diable  au  corps  pour faire  cela  =  A  man  must 

have  the  very  devil  in  him  to  do  anything  of  the  kind. 

Le  navire  s'est  perdu  corps  et  biens  —  The   ship  was 

entirely  lost,  crew  and  cargo. 
Ce  vin-la  a  du  corps,  celui-ci  rien  a  pas  =  That  wine  is 

full-bodied,  this  is  thin. 

//  a  rejoint  son  corps  =  He  has  rejoined  his  regiment. 
Esprit  de  corps  —  Corporate  spirit.     Party  spirit. 
Repas  de  corps  —  A  corporation  banquet. 
Contrainte  par  corps  =  Arrest  for  debt. 
Correction. — Sauf  correction  =  Under  correction. 
Corrompre. —  Fi  du  plaisir 

Que  la  crainte  peut  corrompre  I  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Away  with  the  pleasure  that  fear  can  mar ! 
Corsaire. — A  corsaire,  corsaire  et  demt'=Set  a  thief  to 
catch  a  thief. 

Corsaires  a  corsaires, 
L'un  Vautre  s'attaquant  ne  font  pas  leurs  affaires  = 

There  is  honour  among  thieves.  [KEGNIER.] 

Corve*able. — Le  peuple  fran$ais  n'est  plus  corveafr/e  =  The 
French  people  are  no  longer  liable  to  contribution 
in  forced  labour. 
Corve"e. — Quelle  corvee  !  =  What  a  disagreeable  job  !    What 

a  bore ! 
Je  suis  de  con>ee  =  I  am  on  fatigue-duty. 


I  10       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Cote. — Nous  avons  fait  une  cote  mal  taillee  =  We  com- 
promised matters  by  mutual  agreement. 
Cote. — 11 faut  que  vous  lui  serriez  les  cotes  —  You  must  press 

him  close. 
//  se  fera  rompre  les  cotes  —  He  will  get  his  bones 

broken. 

Que  voulez-vous  done  dire  avec  votre  gentilhomme  ?    Est- 
ce  que  nous  sommes,  nous  autres,  de  la  cote  de  St. 

Louis  ?  =  [MOLIERE.] 

What  do  you  mean  with  your  nobleman  ?     Are 

we  sprung  from  the  loins  of  St.  Louis  ? 
Nous  nous  tenions  les  cotes  de  rire,  tant  la  chose  etait 
drole  =  The  thing  was  so  funny  that  we  split  our 
sides  with  laughing. 
Je  revais  cette  nuit  que  de  mal  consume 
Cote  a  cote  d'un  pauvre  on  nlavait  inhume  — 

[PIERRE  DE  PATRIS.] 
I  dreamt  last  night  that  having  been  consumed  by 

disease,  I  was  buried  side  by  side  with  a  pauper. 
La  maison  est  a  mi-cote  =  The  house  stands  half-way  up 

the  hill. 
Cote". — Le  navire  est  sur  le  cdte  =  The  ship  is  stranded. 

A  eux  quatre.  Us  ont  mis  dix  bouteilles  de  vin  sur  le  cote 
=  Between   the  four,  they  emptied  ten   bottles   of 
wine. 
Vous  prenez  tout  du  mauvais  cote  =  You  take  everything 

in  bad  part. 
De  ce  cote-la,  je  suis  tranquille  =  I  feel  easy  on  that 

score. 

Us  ont  mis  les  rieurs  de  leur  cote  =  T\\e.y  brought  the 
laughers  on  their   side.      They   turned   the   laugh 
against  the  other  party. 
Mettez-le  a  cote  =  Put  it  by  the  side. 
Mettez-le  de  cote  =  Put  it  by.     Lay  it  aside. 
Coton. — N'elevez  pas  vos  enfants  dans  du  coton,  ou  vous 
vous  en  repentirez  —  Don't  bring  up  your  children  in 
lavender,  or  you  will  have  cause  to  repent. 
Sonjilsjette  [or  file\  un  mauvais  coton  =  His  son  is  in  a 
bad  way. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        1 1  I 

Cou. — On  leur  met  la  bride  sur  le  cou  =  'They  are  allowed 

their  own  course. 
Elle  se  jette  au  cou  de  tout  le  monde  =-  She  makes  friends 

easily. 
//  se  mettrait  dans  Feau  jusqu'au  cou  pour  ses  amis  — 

He  would  go  any  length  and  run  any  risk  to  oblige 

his  friends. 
//  a  pris  ses  jambes  a  son  cou  —  He  took  to  his  heels. 

Coucher. — //  m'a  couche  enjoue  =  }le  aimed  at  me. 

Nous  avons  couche  a  la  belle  etoile  —  We  slept  in  the 

open  air. 
Nous  avons  couche  sur  la  dure  =  We  lay  on  the  bare 

ground. 
La  vieille  dame  se  couche  comme  les  poules  =  The  old 

lady  goes  to  bed  very  early. 
//  couche  souvent  dans  son  fourreau  =  He  often  goes  to 

sleep  without  undressing. 
Comme  on  fait  son  lit,  on  se  couche  =  As  you  make  your 

bed,  so  you  must  lie  on  it. 

Se  coucher  tot,  se  lever  tot,  donne  sante,  riches  se  et  sagesse  = 
Early  to  bed,  early  to  rise, 
Makes  a  man  healthy,  wealthy,  and  wise. 

[FRANKLIN.] 

Coucheur. — C'est  un  mativais  coucheur=T3.e  is  a  disagree- 
able, bad-tempered  fellow. 

Coude. — Jl  leve  (or,  hausse)  volontiers  le  coude  =  He  is  a 

tippler. 
Quand  on  a  mal  aux  yeux,  il  n'y  faut  toucher  que  du 

coude  —  One  must  not  touch  one's  eyes  when  they  are 

sore. 
Que  tous  les  interesses  se  sentent  les  coudes  -  It  behoves 

all  the  interested  parties  to  put  their  heads  together. 

Coudde. — On  lui  a  laisse  ses  coudees  franches  =  They  gave 

him  full  liberty  to  act  as  he  pleased. 
La  comedie  classique  etait  charmante  quand  elle  avait  ses 
coudees  franches  =  [NODIER.  ] 

Classic  comedy  was  charming  when  it  had  no 
trammels. 


112        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Coildre. — Coudre  la  peau  du  renard  a  celle  du  lion  =  To 

join  the  fox's  tail  to  the  lion's  skin. 
Ses  finesses  sontcousues  de  fil  blanc=  His  trickery  is  very 

transparent. 

Coulant.— //  est  tres  coulant=  He  is  very  accommodating. 
Couler. — Us  se  la  coulent  douce  [elliptical  for,  Us  coulent 
une  existence  douce\  =  They  take  things  easy.     They 
lead  an  easy  life. 

Vos  chandelles  #?«/<?«/=  Your  candles  gutter. 
//  a  la  parole  facile  ;  cela  coule  de  source  =  He  is  a  good 

speaker ;  he  has  a  flow  of  words  at  his  command. 
Cette  malheureuse  entreprise  les  a  conies  a  fond=  That 

unlucky  undertaking  has  been  their  ruin. 
11  coulera  bien  de  /'eau  sous  le  pont  d^ici  la  =  We  shall 

have  to  wait  a  pretty  long  time  until  then. 
Couleur. — II  en  juge  comme  un  avengle  des  couleurs =  He 

judges  of  that  as  a  blind  man  judges  of  colours. 
Couleuvre. — On  leur  a  fait  avaler  bien  des  conleuvres  = 

They  have  had  to  put  up  with  many  indignities. 
Coulisse. — Le  crocodile  me  faisait  des  yeux  en  coulisse  = 

The  crocodile  looked  askance  at  me. 
Coup. — //  riy  a  plus  qu'un  coup  de  collier  a  donner  —  There 

is  only  one  last  effort  to  make. 
Un  coup  de  dents  =  A  bite. 
Donnez-nous  un  coup  d'epaule  =  Give  us  a  lift.     Put 

your  shoulder  to  the  wheel. 
Mes  pareils  a  deux  fois  ne  se  font  point  connaitre, 
Et pour  leur  coup  d'essai  veulent  des  coups  de  maitre  = 

[CORNEILLE,  Le  Ci</.} 

Youths  like  me  do  not  require  two  occasions  to 
make  themselves  known,  and  they  take  care  that 
their  first  stroke  shall  be  a  master-stroke. 
Quelque   chose  de  pensif>   comme    ces  petites   seruantes 
d'auberge  des  tableaux  flamands,  qui  donnent  le  coup 
d'etrier  a  un  voyageur  a  larges  bottes  = 

[A.  DE  MUSSET,  Fanta$io.~\ 

Something  pensive,  like  those  small  inn-servants 
of  Flemish  pictures,  who  give  the  stirrup-cup 
to  a  large-booted  traveller. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        113 

g'a   etc   le   coup  de  grace  =  It   proved   the   finishing 

stroke. 

Un  vrai  coup  de  hasard=  A  regular  fluke. 
Je  vous  donnerai  un  coup  de  main  =  I'll  lend  you  a 

helping  hand. 
//  a,  je  crois,  un  leger  coup  de  marteau  =  He  is,  I  think, 

slightly  cracked. 
Voila  ce  qui  s'appelle  un  coup  de  maitre  =  This  is  what 

is  called  a  master-stroke. 

Ce  ne  sont pas  la  les  larges  coups  d'aile  de  Bossuet= 

[SAINTE-BEUVE.] 

This  is  not  the  towering  flight  of  Bossuet. 
Le  coup  d'ozil  du  Cap  Martin  est  incomparable  =  The 

panorama  from  Cape  Martin  is  matchless. 
Un  coup  d'ceil  suffit  generalement  en  matiere  de  dis- 
cipline =  A  glance  is  enough   generally  to   ensure 

discipline. 

Un  coup  d' ceil  d' intelligence  =  A.  knowing  wink. 
La  pantomime  sans  gifles  et  sans  coups  de  pied  ne  peut 

pas  aller  loin  =  [F.  SARCEY.] 

A  pantomime  cannot  go  far  without  boxes  on  the 

ears  and  kicks. 
Vous  avez  fait  la  un  coup  de  tete  —  You  have  done  a 

rash  deed. 
Le  coup  de  feu  est  entre  sept  et  huit  heures  =  The  busy 

time,  the  bustle,  is  between  seven  and  eight  o'clock. 
Elle  entra  en  coup  de  vent  —  She  rushed   in   like   a 

hurricane. 

Au  coup  de  minmt=As  it  struck  twelve. 
Nous  ferons  d'une  pierre  deux  coups  =  We  shall  kill  two 

birds  with  one  stone. 

C'etait  un  coup  monte—  It  was  a  preconcerted  attack. 
Le  coup  vaut  F  argent  =  It  is  worth  trying. 
Attendez-vous  de  sa  part  a  quelque  coup  de  langue,  a 

quelque  coup  de patte  =  You  may  expect  some  sarcastic 

remark  from  her. 
Elle  vous  portera  un  coup  fourre  =  She  will  strike  you 

in  the  dark.     She  will  give  you  a  sly  kick. 
//  etait  aux  cent  coups  —  He  was  dreadfully  excited. 
llfera  les  cent  coups  =  He  will  play  all  sorts  of  tricks. 

VOL.  I,  H 


114       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

II parie  a  coup  sur=  He  wagers  without  risk. 

Un  coup  qui porte  =  A  home  thrust. 

11  a  fait  la  unjoli  coup  [ironical]  =  That  is  nice  of  him, 

very. 

Je  perds  a  tous  coups  =  I  lose  every  time. 
//  a  reussi  du  premier  coup  =  He  succeeded  from  the 

very  first. 

//  ne  manque  jamais  son  coup  =  He  never  misses  his  aim. 
Encore  un  coup,  je  ne  le  veux  pas  =  Once  more,  I  won't 

have  it. 

Coup  sur  coup  =  Time  after  time.     In  succession. 
//  est  sous  le  coup  d'une  saisie  =  He  is  threatened  with 

an  execution. 
Le  malheureux  a  ete  tue  du  coup  =  The  unfortunate  man 

was  killed  on  the  spot. 

//  est  mort  d'un  coup  de  sang  =  He  died  of  an  apo- 
plectic fit. 
//  avait  bu  un  coup  de  trop  =  He  had  had  a  drop  too 

much. 

Sans  coup  ferir  =  Without  striking  a  blow. 
Un  coup  defoudre  =  K  thunderbolt. 
Donnez  un  coup  de  brosse  a  mes  vetements  —  Give  my 

clothes  a  brushing. 
La  depeche  est  arrivee  apres  coup  =  The  telegram  came 

after  the  event. 

Quand  ce  grand  ouvrier,  qui  s avait  comme  onfonde, 
Eut,  a  coups  de  cognee,  a  peu  pres  fait  le  monde, 
Selon  le  songe  qu'il  revait. 

[VICTOR  HUGO,  Napotton  //.] 

When  this  great  workman,  who  knew  how  to  build, 
had   hewn   the   world   almost   according   to   his 
fancy. 
Pour  le  coup,  c'est  bienfini=T\\\s  time  it  is  quite  over. 

Coupe. — De  la  coupe  aux  levres  ily  a  loin  = 
'Twixt  the  cup  and  the  lip 
There  is  many  a  slip. 

Les  cambrioleurs  mettent  les poulaillers  de  notre  voisinage 
en  coupe  reglee  =  The  burglars  lay  regularly  under  con- 
tribution the  poultry-houses  in  our  neighbourhood. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        115 

11  y  a  des  coupes  sombres  a  faire  dans  notre  ecrasant 
budget—  Large  reductions  are  required  in  our  crush- 
ing budget. 

Couper. — Cela  vous  coupe  la  respiration  —  It  takes  your 
breath  away. 

Pourquoi  me  coupez-vous  la  parole  ?  =  Why  do  you  in- 
terrupt me? 

On  lui  a  coupe  les  vivres  =  His  allowance  was  stopped. 

Nous  ne  buvons  que  du  vin  coupe  =  We  only  drink  wine 
diluted  with  water. 

Les  sanglots  lui  coupaient  la  voix  =  Sobs  stopped  her 
utterance. 

Cour. — •//  y  a  long-temps  qdil  lui  fait  la  cour  —  He  has 
long  been  courting  her. 

Courage. — -J'ai  pris  mon  courage  a  deux  mains  — \  sum- 
moned up  all  my  courage. 

Courage !  ce  sera  bientot  fini=¥>z  brave  !  Be  of  good 
cheer  !  It  will  soon  be  over. 

Courant. — //  est  au  courant  de  f  affaire  —  He  knows  all 

about  the  matter. 
Je  vous  tiendrai  au  courant  de  tous  les  details  =  I  will 

keep  you  acquainted  with  all  the  particulars. 
Fin  courant— At  the  end  of  the  present  month. 

Courir. — Par  le  temps  et  les  hommes  qui  courent=hs,  times 

and  men  go. 
C'est  un  conferencier  tres-couru  —  He  is  a  very  popular 

lecturer. 

Le  bruit  court  que  .  .  .  =  There  is  a  rumour  that  .  .  . 
C'est  vous  qui  avez  fait  courir  ces  bruits  =  It  is  you  who 

spread  those  reports. 
Us  courent  tous  deux  le  meme  lievre  =  They  are  both 

engaged  in  the  same  pursuit. 
Le  voleur  court  encore  =  The  thief  is  still  at  large. 
Cela  dit,  Maitre  Loup  s'enfuit,  et  court  encore  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Having  said  that,  Master  Wolf  ran  away,  never  to 
return. 

Couronne. — Domaine  de  la  Couronne  =  Crown-lands. 


II 6       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Cotirrier.  —  Veuillez  repondre  par  retour  du  courrier=  Please 

to  reply  by  return  of  post. 

J'etais  en  train  de  faire  mon  courrier  =  I  was  busy 
writing  my  letters  for  post. 

Courroie. — On  a  etc  oblige  de  lui  serrer  la  courroie  =  They 
were  obliged  to  curtail  his  supplies. 

Cours. — Les  pieces  d'argent  italiennes  n'ont  plus  cours  = 
The  Italian  silver  coins  are  no  longer  legal  tender. 

Premier,  dernier  cours  de  la  Bourse  =  Opening,  closing 
prices  on  the  Stock  Exchange. 

Capitaine  au  long  cours  =  Captain  of  a  merchant  vessel. 

Telles  sont  les  idees  qui  ont  cours  dans  certains  milieux 
=  Such  are  the  ideas  that  prevail  in  certain  circles. 

Course. — Course  au  clocher  =  Steeplechase. 

J'ai  des  courses  a  faire  =  I  have  to  go  on  errands. 
Cocker,  je  vous  prends  a  Vheure,  et  non  a  la  course  = 
Coachman,   I  take  you  by  the   hour,  not   by  the 
drive. 

Court. — Elle  se  trouva  bientot  a  court  de  fonds  =  She  soon 

found  herself  short  of  cash. 
J'ai  coupe  court  a  toutes  ses  reclamations  =  I  put  a  stop 

to  all  her  complaints. 

Le  Directeur,  pris  de  court,  a  monte  en  hate  une  piece 
nouvelle  =  [F.  SARCEY.] 

The  manager,  being  driven  into  a  corner,  hastily 

got  up  another  play. 
//  s'en  est  retourne  avec  sa  courte  honte  =  He  came  back 

as  he  had  gone. 
//  sait  le  court  et  le  long  de  I' affaire  =  He  knows  the  ins 

and  outs  of  the  case. 
A  vaillant  homme  courte  epee  =  A  brave  man  needs  no 

long  sword. 
Legere  et  court-vetue,  elle  allait  a  grands  pas  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Light-footed  and  short -dressed,  she  was  stepping 
along  smartly. 

Cousin. — Nous  ne  sommes  pas  precisement  cousins  —  We  are 
not  the  best  friends  in  the  world. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        1 17 

Si  pareille  chose  iriarrivait,  le  roi  ne  serait  pas  mon 
cousin  =  Should  such  a  thing  befall  me,  I  would  not 
call  the  king  my  cousin. 

Cousu. — //  est  tout  cousu  <Tor=  He  rolls  in  wealth. 
Cout. — Le  cout  fait  perdre  le  gout  =  The  cost  takes  away 

the  appetite. 
Coutant. — -Je  vous  le  laisse  au  prix  coutant—\  leave  it  to 

you  at  cost  price,  at  prime  cost. 
Couteau. — Us  sont  a  couteaux  tires  =  They  are  at  drawn 

daggers. 

On  vous  en  donnera  des  petits  couteaux  pottr  les  perdre  ! 
=  Don't  you  wish  you  may  get  it  I—Said  to  children 
who  are  asking  for  what  they  must  not  have. 
Aller  en  Flandre  sans  couteau  =  To  undertake  a  thing 

without  sufficient  preparation. 

C  outer. — II  n'y  a  que  le  premier  pas  qui  coitte  =  The  diffi- 
culty lies  in  the  beginning. 
Rien  ne  lui  coute  pour  obliger  un  ami=  He  spares  no 

pains  to  oblige  a  friend. 

Tout  lui  coute  =  Everything  is  an  effort  for  him. 
//  m'en  coute  de  vous  refuser  cela  =  It  is  painful  to  me  to 

deny  you  that. 
Coute  que  coute  *  =  At  any  cost.    Let  it  cost  what  it  may. 


*  I  cannot  but  deplore  here  the  barbarisms  too  frequently  committed 
by  English  people  who  ought  to  know  better,  when  quoting  French 
phrases. 

It  so  happens  that  only  a  few  days  ago,  I  read  in  the  Temps  the 
following  statement  from  a  distinguished  literary  critic  (apropos  of 
Mrs.  Thackeray  Ritchie's  Chapters  from  some  Memoirs}:  "Pour  etre 
vieille  de  plus  de  cent  ans,  on  dirait  que  cette  malheureuse  manie 
de  citations  fra^aises  ne  fait,  en  Angleterre,  que  se  developper ; 
malheureuse,  parce  qu'on  dirait  que  se  developpe  en  meme  temps 
1'incapacite  fonciere  des  Anglais  a  citer  une  phrase  fran£aise  tout-a-fait 
correctement." 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  endorse  fully  this  sweeping  indictment.  But 
still  it  must  be  admitted  that  there  is  too  much  cause  for  a  charge  of 
the  kind.  Take  "  Coute  que  coute,"  for  instance.  It  stands  clearly 
for  "  Que  cela  coute  ce  que  cela  pourra  coiiter."  Que  is,  so  to  speak,  in 
the  accusative  case.  What  can  "Coute  qui  coute"  possibly  mean? 
It  certainly  defies  all  analytical  construction,  and  yet  the  barbarism  is 
constantly  to  be  met  with  in  English  writings. 

To  the  same  class  belongs  the  offensive  expression,  "Double  entendre" 


Il8       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Coutume. —  Unefois  riest pas  coutume  =  \\.  is  only  for  once; 

One  swallow  does  not  make  a  summer. 
C'est  la  coutume  de  Paris,  ott  le  battu  paie  P  amende  *  = 

The  victim  is  condemned  in  the  bargain. 
Coutumier. — //  est  coutumier  du  fait,  il  n'en  fait  jamais 
d'autres  =  He  is  an  old  offender,  this  is  just  like  him. 
Couture. — Us  ont  etc  battus  a  plate  couture  =  They  were 

totally  routed. 

//  a  besoin  qu^on  lui  rabatte  les  coutures  =  He  is  an  up- 
start fellow  who  wants  taking  down. 
Couver. — Elle  conve  des  yeux  son  enfant=  She  dotes  on  her 

child. 

Couvert. — Le  convert  est  mis  —  The  cloth  is  laid 
Utez  le  convert  =  Remove  the  cloth. 
Votre  convert  sera  toujours  mis  a  ma  table  =  There  will 
always  be  a  knife  and  fork  for  you  at  my  table. 

instead  of  "Double  entente"  But  I  prefer  bringing  in  Mr.  W.  H. 
Pollock,  who  in  his  few  notes  on  Alfred  de  Mussel's  Fantasia,  thus 
protests  against  the  common,  and  I  fear  incurable,  English  blunder  : 
"  Double  entente.  Note  this,"  says  Mr.  Pollock,  "as  a  warning  against 
the  vile  phrase  double  entendre,  which  is  constantly  used  by  English 
writers,  and  which  is  neither  French  nor  English,  nor  anything  else 
but  a  monstrously  base  coinage,  which  has  somehow  become  current. "- 
Clarendon  Press  Series :  ALFRED  DE  MUSSET'S  On  ne  badine  pas  avec 
I 'Amour,  &c. ,  p.  135. 

Again,  I  would  refer  the  reader  to  the  protest  I  feel  bound  to  enter 
farther  on,  in  a  foot-note  on  the  word  Moral,  which  is  so  commonly 
disfigured  with  a  final  e  in  English  books  and  newspapers.  I  omit 
several  other  grievous  blunders,  and  I  say  nothing  of  "a  /'outrance, " 
which  perhaps  might  claim  the  benefit  of  an  archaism  as  against  the 
only  correct  modern  form  "a  outrance." 

*  This  proverb,  Le  battu  paye  V amende,  according  to  an  ingenious 
version,  may  be  traced  to  a  play  on  words  :  To  a  party  accused  of  an 
assault  on  the  plaintiff,  the  judge  says,  Le  bas-tu?  Paye  F  amende. 
This  conundrum,  however,  does  not  seem  to  me  to  afford  a  sufficiently 
dignified  explanation.  I  prefer,  with  M.  Rozan,  to  ascribe  the  origin 
of  this  proverb  to  the  practice  that  prevailed  in  the  so-called  "  good 
old  times  "  of  settling  a  trial,  in  doubtful  cases,  by  a  combat  judidaire. 
A  fight  was  arranged  between  the  contending  parties,  and  right  was 
invariably  assumed  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  conqueror.  That  "judg- 
ment of  God,"  as  it  was  most  improperly  called,  decided  your  fate. 
You  had  got  the  worst  of  the  fight,  therefore  you  were  clearly  the 
culprit,  according  to  the  providential  verdict,  and  must  pay  the  fine  or 
undergo  the  punishment. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        1 19 

Nous  nous  sommes  mis  a  convert  =  We  got  under  shelter. 

Mots  converts  =  Ambiguous  terms. 

Un  proprietaire  est  oblige  de  tenir  son  locataire  clos  et 

convert  =K  landlord  is  bound  to  keep  his  tenant's 

house  well  closed  and  well  roofed. 

Couverture. — Chacun  tire  la  couverture  a  soi—  Every  one 
rakes  the  embers  to  his  own  cake  [or,  as  the  Italians 
have  it :  Every  one  draws  the  water  to  his  own  mill]. 

//  sait  tirer  la  couverture  a  lui=  He  knows  how  to  take 
care  of  himself. 

Mefiez-vous  des  coulissiers  qui  vous  reclament  une  couver- 
ture :  C'est  eux  qui  devraient  en  fournir  une  =  Beware 
of  the  stock-jobbers  who  claim  a  security  from  you : 
They  it  is  who  ought  to  supply  one. 

SC  Couvrir. — Le  temps  se  couvre  =  rY\\£  weather  is  over- 
cast. 

Couvrez-vous,  je  vous  prie  =  Pray,  put  your  hat  on. 
Se  couvrir  d'un  sac  mouille  —  To  put  forth  a  shallow 
excuse  which  rather  aggravates  the  fault. 

Crachd. —  1} esprit  le  plus  bouche 

Y  reconnait  mon  portrait  tout  crache  = 

[VOLTAIRE.] 
The  most  blind  recognise  my  very  portrait  all  over. 

Cran. — II  faut  baisser  d*un  cran,  et  changer  de  maniere  — 

[DESTOUCHES.] 

You    must   come   down   a   peg   and    change    your 
manner. 

Dans  deux  jours ,  je  serai  au  meme  cran=  [E.  ABOUT.] 
I  shall  be  in  the  same  condition  two  days  hence. 

Cr£maill£re. — Us  vont  pendre  la  cremailftre  =  rYhey  are 
about  to  give  a  house-warming. 

CreilX. — -J'cii  trouve  buisson  creux  =  I  found  the  game  gone. 

I  found  no  one  at  home. 
Quel  creux  I  =  What  a  splendid  bass  voice  ! 
Songer  creux  =  To  be  in  a  brown  study. 

Crever. — Ces  gens  crbvent  d'orgtteil=  Those  people  are 
bursting  with  pride. 


120      FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 


Cela  vous  creve  le  cozur  =  It  is  heart-rending. 

Ce  que  vous  cherchez  vous  creve  ks  yeux  =  What  you  are 

looking  for  is  staring  you  in  the  face. 
Cri. — Ellejeta  les  hauts  <rm  =  She  screamed  out. 

Nous  avons  eu  beau  pousser  des  cris  =  We  cried  out,  but 

with  no  effect. 
Les  animaux  riexhalent  qrfun  cri  inarticule,  aussi  borne 

dans  ses  effets  que  dans  sa  nature  *  =  Animals  utter 

only  an  inarticulate  cry,  as  limited  in  its  effects  as 

in  its  nature. 


*  I  have  no  doubt  my  readers  will  be  glad  to  have  here  grouped 
together  the  technical  words  expressing  the  cries  of  most  animals, 
which  it  is  important  to  know : — 


L'abeille,  le  bourdon,  et  la  mouche 

bourdonnent. 
L'aigle  trompette, 
L'alouette  grisolle, 
L'ane  brait. 

Le  buffle  souffle,  beugle. 
Le  canard  nasille. 
Le  gros  chien  aboie. 
Le  petit  chien  jappe. 
La  cigale  craqnette, 
Le  cochon,  le  pourceau  grognent. 
La  colombe  et  le  ramier  gemis- 

sent. 

Le  coq  coqueline  et  chante. 
Le  corbeau  croasse. 
La  grenouille  croasse. 
Le  crocodile  laments. 
Le  dindon  glougloitte. 
L'elephant  barete. 
L'epervier,  le  lapin,  et  le  renard 

glapissmt. 
Le  faon  rdle. 
Le  hibou  hue. 
L'hirondelle  gazouille. 
Le  lion  rugit. 
Le  loriot  et  le  merle  sifflent. 

Le  moineau  pepie. 
Le  paon  braille. 
Le  perroquet  cause. 
La  fiiejacasse. 
Le  pigeon  roucoule. 


The  bee,  the  drone,  and  the  fly 

buzz. 

The  eagle  screams. 
The  lark  warbles. 
The  ass  brays. 
The  buffalo  bellows. 
The  duck  snuffles. 
The  dog  barks. 
The  puppy  yelps. 
The  grasshopper  gabbles. 
The  pig,  the  hog  grunt. 
The  dove   and    the  wood-pigeon 

moan. 

The  cock  crows. 
The  crow  croaks. 
The  frog  croaks. 
The  crocodile  whines. 
The  turkey  gabbles. 
The  elephant  roars. 
The  lark,  the  rabbit,  and  the  fox 

yelp. 

The  fawn  rattles. 
The  owl  hoots. 
The  swallow  chirps. 
The  lion  roars. 
The    oriole    and    the    blackbird 

whistle. 

The  sparrow  chirps. 
The  peacock  bawls. 
The  parrot  talks. 
The  magpie  jaMers. 
The  pigeon  coos. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        121 

Criard. — 11  a  des  dettes  criardes  qui  contrarient  beaucoup  sa 
marche  =  He  has  dribbling  debts  that  seriously  im- 
pede his  progress. 
Cribler. — //  est  crible  de  dettes  =  He  is  over  head  and  ears 

in  debt. 

Crier. — On  a  cri'e :  au  secours — au  voleur — au  meurtre  = 
They  called  out  for  help — they  cried  out  thieves — 
they  cried  out  murder. 
On  crie  ;  au  feu  —  They  are  crying  fire. 
On  ne  manquera  pas  de  crier  au  scanda/e  =  rThey  are 

sure  to  inveigh  against  the  scandal. 
Us  orient  toujours  misere  =  They  are  always  complaining 
of  poverty. 

A  ces  mots,  on  cria  haro  sur  le  baudet= 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

At  these  words,  a  hue  and  cry  was  raised  against  the 

donkey. 

Plumer  la  poule  sans  la  faire  crier  =  To  fleece  quietly. 
Crier  famine  sur  un  fas  de  ble  =  To  cry  out  famine  in 

the  midst  of  plenty. 

Crin. — C'est  un  fataliste  a  tous  crins  =  He  is  a  thorough 
fatalist. 

Critique. — La  critique  est  aisee,  et  I'art  est  difficile  = 

[DESTOUCHES.] 

It  is  easy  to  criticise,  but  difficult  to  create. 
Croc-en-jarnbe. — //  lui  a  donne  le  croc-en-jambe  =  He  tried 

to  trip  him  up. 
Crochet. — //  n'a  pas  eu  honte  de  vivre  pendant  vingt  ans 

aux  crochets  de  son  frere  aine  =  He  was  not  ashamed 


La  poule  glousse.  \    The  hen  clucks. 


Les  petits  poulets  piaulent. 
Le  rossignol  ramage. 
Le  sanglier  grommelle. 


The  young  chickens  pip. 
The  nightingale  warbles. 
The  wild  boar  grunts. 


Le  serpent  siffle.  The  serpent  hisses. 

Le  taureau  et  la  vache  mugissent.    \    The  bull  and  the  cow  bellow. 


Le  loup  hurle. 
Le  lievre  crie. 
La  brebis  bele. 


The  wolf  howls. 
The  hare  squeaks. 
The  sheep  bleats. 


Le  chat  miaule.  The  cat  mews. 

Le  cheval  hennit.  :    The  horse  neighs. 


122       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

to   live   for   twenty   years   at   his    eldest    brother's 
charge. 

Aller  aux  mures  sans  crochet ;=  To  embark  in  an  enter- 
prise without  the  means  of  carrying  it  out. 
Croire. — A  les  en  croire  =\l  we  are  to  believe  them. 

//  s'en  croit  un  peu  trop  =  He  thinks  rather  too  much 
of  himself. 

C'esf  a  croire  que  la  betise  humaine  a  des  profondeurs 
encore  insondees  =  It  would  lead  one  to  believe  that 
human  stupidity  remains  unfathomable. 

Croyez  cela,  et  buvez  de  I'eau  !  —  You  may  believe  that 

if  you  like. 

Croitre. — Nos  taxes  sont  bien  lourdes,  et  cela  ne  fait  que 
crottre  et  embellir  =  Our  taxes  are  very  heavy,  and 
they  keep  growing  worse  and  worse. 

Mauvaise  herbe  croit  toujours  =  111  weeds  grow  apace. 

Croix. — 11 a  ete  re$u  avec  la  croix  et  la  banniere =  He  was 

received  with  all  due  honours. 
Quand  nous  serons  a  six,  nous  ferons  une  croix  =  When 

we  come  to  six,  we  will  chalk  it  up. 
Croque. — -Je  le  mangerai  a  la  croque  au  sel=  I  shall  eat  it 

without  any  dressing,  with  pepper  and  salt. 
//  vous  mangerait  a  la  croque  au  sel=  He  would  make 

a  mere  mouthful  of  you. 

Une  vraie  figure  de  croque-mort  =  A  long  dismal  face. 
Croquer. — Cette petite fille est gentille  a  croquer=T\\\?>  little 

girl  is  a  lovely  creature. 
Croupiere. — Nous  leur  taillerons  des  croupieres  =  ^N&  will 

cut  out  work  for  them. 
C  route. — -Je  viendrai  un  de  ces  jours  casser  une  croiite  avec 

vous  — Til  come  and  take  pot- luck  with  you  one  of 

these  days. 
Cru. —  Un  de  mes  amis  du  Midi  me  fournit  de  P  excellent  vin 

de  son  cru  =  A  friend  of  mine  in  the  South  of  France 

supplies   me   with   an   excellent   wine   of  his  own 

growing. 
Donnez-moi  du  vin  du  cru  =  Give  me  some  wine  of  the 

country. 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        123 

Ce  bon  mot  rietait  pas  de  son  cru  —  The  joke  was  not 

original. 
Cm. — Le  ton  de  ce  tableau  est  un  peu  cru  =  The  tone  of  this 

picture  is  rather  crude. 
Vous  lui  avez  donne  une  reponse  un  peu  crue  —  You  gave 

him  a  rather  sharp  answer. 
Je  vais  vous  dire  ma  pensee  toute  crue  =  I  will  tell  you 

plainly  what  I  think. 

Cruche. — Tant  va  la  cruche  a  Veau  qu'a  la  fin  elle  se  casse  = 
Things  will  break.      The  pitcher  goes  so  often  to 
the  well  that  it  comes  home  broken  at  last. 
Quelle  cruche  I  =  What  a  blockhead  ! 
Crument. — Unfa  dit  cela  tout  crument  =  He  told  me  that 

bluntly. 
Cuir. — Pester  entre  cuir  et  chair -To  fume  inwardly,  in 

petto. 
Faire  du  cuir  d'autrui  une  large  courroie  =  To  dispense 

freely  other  people's  money. 
Out,  avec-t-un  cuir  *  =  Yes,  with  a  "  cuir." 


*  Faire  nn  cnir,faire  des  cuirs,  may  be  considered  the  equivalent  of 
the  English  dropping  of  the  aspirate  h,  or  rather  its  ill-treatment  in 
point  of  omission  or  commission ;  but  you  cannot  translate  Faire  des 
cuirs  by,  "To  drop  one's  h's."  The  two  things  have  absolutely  no 
feature  in  common,  beyond  the  fact  that  the  infirmity  in  either  case  is 
twofold,  that  is,  negative  or  positive  on  one  side,  and  hard-sounding  or 
soft-sounding  on  the  other. 

In  the  English  case,  the  aspiration  is  omitted  on  the  one  hand  where 
it  is  wanted,  whilst  on  the  other  hand,  by  a  queer  process  of  compensa- 
tion, it  is  committed  where  there  is  no  h  at  all.  I  remember  this  double 
sample  of  cockneyism  being  once  happily  illustrated  by  our  venerable 
friend  Mr.  Punch  with  its  usual  and,  be  it  said  to  its  lasting  credit,  its 
ever  innocuous  humour,  in  a  little  dialogue  between  a  London  barber 
and  his  client :  "  They  say,  sir,  the  cholera  is  very  much  about  in  the 
'hair." — "I  hope,  then,  you  are  very  particular  about  the  brushes  you 
use." — "  Oh  !  I  see,  sir,  you  don't  'hunger stand  me  :  I  don't  mean  the 
air  of  the  ead ;  I  mean  the  'hair  of  the  ' hatmosphere." 

Now,  the  French  "cuir"  stands  by  itself.  It  consists  either  (A)  in 
pronouncing  a  t  instead  of  an  s,  or  rather  a  z,  between  a  word  and 
the  next,  or  (B)  in  sounding  an  s  or  z  instead  of  a  t,  or  again,  (c)  in 
connecting  two  words  with  either  one  or  the  other  of  those  letters 
where  there  should  be  neither.  E.g.  (A)  "Je  suis-/-heureux  de  vous 
revoir"  (as  a  late  Oriental  Highness  very  graciously  said  more  than 


124      FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Cuire. —  Vous  viendrez  cuire  a  monfour=  You  will  want  my 

help  some  day. 
La  main  me  cuit,  les  yeux  me  cuisent=  My  hand  smarts  ; 

my  eyes  smart. 

//  vous  en  cuira  —  You  shall  smart  for  it. 
Trop  gratter  cuit,  trop  parler  nuit  —  The  less  said,  the 

sooner  mended.     Lit,  To  scratch  too  much  is  pain- 
ful, to  talk  too  much  is  hurtful. 
Cuisine. — Petite  cuisine  agrandit  la  maison  =  Moderation  or 

economy  in  household  expenses  enriches  a  house. 
Grasse  cuisine  fait  maigre   testament  =  K  fat  kitchen 

makes  a  lean  will. 
Soie  et  satin,  velours,  hermine,  eteignent  le  feu  de  la 

cuisine  =  Silk  and  satin,  velvet  and  ermine,  put  out 

the  kitchen-fire. 
//  est  charge  de  cuisine  =  He  has  a  good  corporation  of 

his  own. 

Du  latin  de  cuisine  =  Dog  latin. 
Culbute. — Faire  la  culbute  =  To  tip  one's  heels  over  one's 

head.     To  tumble. 
Au  bout  du  fosse  la  culbute  =  Beware  of  consequences. 

Be  prepared  for  the  worst. 
Culotte. — C'esf  la  femme  qui  porte  les  culottes  dans  cette 

maison  =  The  wife  wears  the  breeches  in  this  house. 
Culotter.  —  Votre  pipe  est  Men   cnlottee  =  Your  pipe   is 

famously  black. 


once  to  my  humble  self),  instead  of  "  Je  suis-z-heureux,  &c. ; "  (B)  "  Us 
sont-z-alles  a  Paris,"  instead  of  "Us  sont-Aalles  ; "  (c)  "Je  leur-2-ai 
dit,  mon  Capitaine  " — the  extra  letter  in  this  last  is,  I  suppose,  intro- 
duced by  way  of  emphasising  the  speech  with  a  certain  swing. 

It  is  only  fair  to  add,  however,  that  whether  or  not  the  dropping  or 
misplacing  of  the  aspirate  h  still  flourishes  as  much  as  ever  in  London, 
the  French  cuirs  in  question  seem  to  have  become  less  common  at  the 
present  time  than  I  knew  them  to  be  formerly. 

Moreover,  before  dismissing  this  subject  (which,  for  aught  I  know, 
has  never  received  the  attention  it  deserves),  I  would  submit  that  whilst 
any  venturesome  liaison  of  the  above  kind  may  fairly  be  called  a  citir 
when  its  effect  is  harsh,  as  in  "  II  va-/-a  Paris,"  it  would  be  correct  to 
call  it  a  velours — changing  the  ironical  "  Avec-Mm  cuir"  into  "  Avec- 
2-un  velours" — when  the  effect  produced  is  soft  to  the  ear,  as  in  "  II 
va-«-a  Paris." 


I25 

Culpa. —  Voyons,  faites  votre  mea  culpa,  et  tout  est  dit= 

Come,  confess  your  sin,  and  there  will  be  an  end  of  it. 
Cure. — 11  n'en  a  cure  =  He  cares  nothing  about  it. 

A  beau  parkr  qui  n'a  cure  de  bien  faire  =  All  talk  and 

so  much  smoke. 
On  a  beau  parler  a  qui  n'a  cure  de  bien  faire  =  Advice 

is  wasted  on  one  who  does  not  mean  to  turn  it  to 

account. 
Cuver. — //  a  ete  mis  au  violon  pour  cuver  son  vin  =  He  was 

locked  up  to  sleep  himself  sober. 
Cygne.* — C'est  le  chant  du  cygne=\\.  is  the  song  of  the 

dying  swan. 

D. 

Dada. — C'est  son  dada  =  It  is  his  hobby. 
Dame. — Elle  fait  trop  la  grande  dame  =  She  is  too  pre- 
tentious. 

La  dame  de  carreau  =  The  queen  of  diamonds. 
Jouer  aux  dames  —  To  play  at  draughts. 
Mais,  dame,  out!     Oh  !  dame,  non  I  f  —  Yes,  of  course. 
Oh  !  no,  surely  not. 

*  Le  Chant  du  Cygne  is  the  last  work  of  a  great  poet,  or  the  last 
speech  of  an  eminent  orator  before  his  death.  The  expression  is,  after 
all,  merely  conventional,  as,  notwithstanding  the  poetical  tradition 
which  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  days  of  ancient  Greece,  it  is  well 
known  that  the  swan's  singing,  far  from  being  melodious,  is  shrill  and 
hoarse,  not  unlike  the  cry  of  the  goose.  But,  for  all  that,  Buffon, 
whose  matchless  science  is  so  accurate,  pleads  mercifully  for  the  main- 
tenance of  the  tradition  which  was  so  harshly  denounced  by  Pliny. 
"Swans,"  says  the  great  French  naturalist,  "doubtless  do  not  sing  at 
their  death  ;  but  still,  in  alluding  to  the  last  soaring  of  a  fine  genius 
about  to  be  extinguished,  one  will  always  recall  with  feeling  this  touch- 
ing expression  :  C'est  le  Chant  du  Cygne !" 

Buffon's  remark  is  in  happy  contrast  with  these  satirical  lines  : 
"  Swans,  they  say,  sing 

Before  they  die ; 

'Twere  a  good  thing 

Did  some  folks  die 

Before  they  sing." 

t  A  very  familiar  kind  of  interjection,  perfectly  harmless  now,  but 
very  possibly  a  contraction  of  the  old  oath,  Par  Notre  Dame.  See 
farther  on  the  note  on  DIANTRE. 


126       FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Damer. — Ne  vous  laissez  pas  darner  le  pion  —  Don't  allow 

yourself  to  be  outwitted. 
Damne. — C'est  fame   damnee   du   directeur  —  He   is   the 

director's  tool,  and  does  all  the  dirty  work  for  him. 
Danser. — //  ne  salt  plus  sur  quel  pied  danser—~R&  no 

longer  knows  which  way  to  turn. 
Us  Font  fait  Manser  =  They  led  him  a  pretty  dance. 

Date. — -Je  suis  le  premier  en  date=  I  have  the  priority. 

Une  amitie  de  vieille  date  =  A  friendship  of  old  standing. 

Dater. — Cela  ne  date  pas  d' 'hier  =  That  is  a  very  old  story. 

Dauber. — On  lui  a  daube  dessus  [familiar]  =  He  got  laughed 
at.     He  was  jeered. 

De. — De  demain  en  huit=  To-morrow  week. 

//  ne  reviendra  pas  de  quinze  jours  —  He  will  not  be 

back  for  a  fortnight. 

De  quoi  vivez-vous  done?  =  What,  then,  do  you  live  upon? 
11  est  de  Finteret  de  tous  qu'il  en  soit  ainsi=\\.  is  the 

interest  of  all  that  it  should  be  so. 
Et  d'une,  et  de  deux  =  So  much  for  one,  so  much  for 

two. 

Je  commence  d  n'y  plus  voir  clair :  I'dge  vous  joue  de 
ces  tours  =  My  sight  is  failing  :  Old  age  plays  you 
tricks  of  that  kind. 

C'est  d'un  cynisme  revoltant=  It  is  abominably  cynical. 
C'est  d'un  triste,  d'un  lugubre  !  Oh  !  ne  m'enparlezpas. 
\_Effet  or  caractere  understood]  =  [F.  SARCEY.] 

It  is  sad,  it  is  lugubrious  to  an  extent  .  .  . !     Oh  ! 

don't  tell  me  about  it. 
C'est  d'un  galant  homme  =  \l  is  the  act  of  a  perfect 

gentleman. 
Et  eux  de  rire  !  =  And  they  began  to  laugh. 

Ainsi  dit  le  renard ;  etflatteurs  d'applaudir^ 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Thus  spoke  the  fox,  and  flatterers  of  course 
took  to  applauding. 

De\ — Elle  tient  le  de  dans  la  conversation  =  She  engrosses  all 

the  conversation. 
Le  de  en  est  iete  =  The  die  is  cast. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        127 

En  lui  annon$ant  cette  triste  nouvelle,  flattez  un  peu  le 
de—\n  apprising  her  of  this  sad  piece  of  news,  just 
soften  the  blow  as  much  as  possible ;  break  it  gently 
to  her. 

A  vous  le  de,  Monsieur  =\\.  is  your  turn,  sir. 
Debandade. — Us  mirent  tout  a  la  debandade  =  They  threw 
everything  into  confusion. 

Tout  va  a  la  debandade  —  Everything  is  at  sixes  and 
sevens. 

Us  vivent  a  la  debandade  —  They  squander  their  time. 

D£barque\ — 11  a  tout  Pair  d'un  nouveau  debarque=\\Q 
has  the  appearance  of  one  newly  come  to  the  place. 

D£biter. — II  debite  bien  sa  marchandise  =  ^.&  makes  the 
best  of  what  he  has  to  say. 

SC  D^boutonner. — //  s'est  tenu  long-temps  sur  la  reserve, 
mats  il  afini par  se  deboutonner  =  He  was  for  a  long 
time  reserved,  but  at  last  he  became  communicative. 

D^brider. — -J'ai  toujours  pu  faire  de  longues  marches  en 
Suisse  sans  debrider=  I  always  could  walk  for  a  long 
time  in  Switzerland  without  stopping,  at  a  stretch. 

De*brouillard. — 11  est  tres  dkbrouillard=*l&&  knows  how 
to  get  through  difficulties. 

SC  D^brouiller. — Debrouillez-vous  comme  vous  pourrez,  je 
ne  m'en  mele  pas  —  Get  through  that  as  best  you  can, 
I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

Dechaine. — C'est  un  vrai  diable  dechaine=\\&  is  a  bad 

man  who  takes  all  sorts  of  liberties. 
11  est  dechaine  contre  vous  =  He  is  exasperated  against 
you. 

SC  De"chausser.* — //  ri est  pas  besoin  de  se  dechausser  pour 
manger  cela  —  There  is  no  occasion  to  make  any  fuss 
to  get  that. 

De*chirer. — Chien  hargneux  a  toujours  roreille  dechiree  = 
Quarrelsome  folks  always  come  to  trouble. 


*  This  proverb  comes  from  the  custom  of  the  Romans  to  recline 
barefoot  at  their  meals. 


128       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Cette  musique  vous  dechire  les  0ra'//<?.r  =  This  music  is 

most  distracting. 
//  ne  se  fera  pas  dechirer  le  manteau  pour  cela  =  He  will 

accept  your  invitation  readily. 

SC  Declarer. — Le  cholera  vient  de  se  declarer  en  Orient— 
Cholera  has  just  broken  out  in  the  East. 

L'orage  se  declare •—  [RACINE,  Athalie.~\ 

The  storm  is  breaking. 
De"coildre. — Us  veulent  absolument  en  decoudre  =  They  are 

bent  on  fighting  it  out. 
Son  style  affecte  le  decousu  =  His  style  affects  too  much 

incoherence. 

Ddcouvrir.— Decouvrir  St.  Pierre  pour  couvrir  St.  Paul— 
To  rob  Peter  to  enrich  Paul.  To  steal  a  goose  and 
give  the  giblets  in  alms. 

En  Avril,  ne  te  decouvre  pas  d*un  fil= 
April's  changes  thou  should'st  dread, 
And  never  cast  off  a  thread. 
De'crocher. — C'esf  lui  qui  a  decroche  la  timbale  {i.e.,  at  the 

greased  Maypole]  =  It  is  he  who  got  the  cake. 
Costumes  achetes  au  d'ecrochez-moi-ga  =         [F.  SARCEY.] 

Costumes  bought  at  a  second-hand  shop. 
Dedans. — Ne  vous  laissez  pas  mettre  dedans— Don't  let 

yourself  be  imposed  upon. 
//  ne  sait  s'il  est  dedans  ou  dehors  =  He  does  not  know 

how  his  affairs,  or  chances,  stand. 
11  est  trop  en  dedans  ;  je  ne  me  fie  pas  a  lui=  He  is  too 
mysterious ;  I  don't  trust  him. 

se  DeTaire. — -J'ai  du  me  defaire  de  ces  gens-la  =  I  had  to 

discharge  those  people. 
Defaites-vous  de  cette  mauvaise  habitude  —  Shake  off  this 

bad  habit. 
DeTaite. — C'etait  la  une  mauvaise  defaite  =  That  was  a  bad 

excuse. 

Ces  marchandises  sont  de  bonne  defaite  aux  colonies  = 
Those  goods  command  a  quick  sale  in  the  colonies. 

DeTaut. — Que  je  ne  vous  prenne  pas  en  defaut=  Don't  let 
me  catch  you  tripping. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS.        1 29 

Sa    mcmoire   s'est   tout-a-coup   trouvee   en    defaut  =  His 

memory  suddenly  failed  him. 
A  defaut  de  vi'n,  on  boit  de  feau  =  For  want  of  wine  one 

drinks  water. 
Voits  m'attaquez  au  defaut  de  la  cuirasse  =  ^l  OM  attack 

me  on  my  weak  point. 

Les  preuves  font  defaut  =  The  proofs  are  wanting. 
SC  DeTendre. — -Je  ne  m'en  defends  pas  =  I  do  not  deny  it. 
Linmtation    etait  si  pressante,    que  je   n'at  pu   m'en 
dcfendre  =  T}\Q    invitation   was   so    pressing   that    I 
could  not  refuse. 

Les  mains  defiants  ne  peuvent  se  defendre  d'un  leger 
soup^on  =  The  least  distrustful  cannot  refrain  from  a 
slight  suspicion. 

Defense. — Mettez-vous  en  defense  =  Stand  on  your  guard. 
Defense  d'entrer=No  admittance. 
Defense  d'afficher  =  Stick  no  bills. 
De"fi. — -Je  vous  mets  au  defi=\  defy  you. 
Defiance. — Defiance  est  niere  de  sftrete—  Fast  bind  fast  find. 
Defier. — -Vous  m'en  defiezl  —  ^iQVi  dare  me  do  it? 
SC  De"fier. — Defiez-voiis  en  =  Do  not  trust  it. 
Definitive. — En  definitive  =  After  all. 

SC  Ddgourdir. —  7u  as  besoin  de  voyager  pour  te  degourdir  = 

{Gil  Bias.} 

You  want  a  little  travelling  to  rub  yourself  up. 
D^gouter. — Nefaites  done  pas  tant  le  degotite='Do  not  be 

so  squeamish. 

Dehors. — Us  ont  soin  de  sauver  les  dehors  =  T}\ey  are  care- 
ful to  save  appearances. 
//  cache  une  ambition  effren'ee  sous  les  dehors  de  la  piete 

=  He  conceals  an  unbridled  ambition  under    the 

cloak  of  piety. 
De*lit. — On  I' a  pris  en  flagrant  <#///=  He  was  caught  in 

the  very  act. 
Deloger. — Nous  avons  deloge  sans  tambour  ni  trompette  = 

We  marched  off  in  silence. 
Deluge. — Apres  nous  le  deluge  /  =  A  short  life  and  a  merry 

one. 
VOL.  i.  I 


130        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Demain. — A  demain  les  affaires  seneuses  =  Time  enough 
for  business  to-morrow.  {See  Note  on  AFFAIRES.] 

Demander. — -Je  ne  demande  pas  mieux  - 1  have  not  the 

least  objection. 
L'hote  qui  ne  demandait  pas  mieux,  se  mit  a  Fappreter  = 

[Gil  Bias.} 
The  innkeeper,  who  wished  for  that  very  thing,  began 

to  dress  it. 

Monsieur,  on  vous  demande  —  You  are  wanted,  Sir. 
On  est  venu  vous  demander  =  Some  one  has  called  for 
you. 

De"mangeaison. — Ilfaut  gu'un  galant  homme  ait  toujours 

grand  empire 
Sur  les  demangeaisons  qui  nous  prennent  d'lecrire  = 

[MoLi^RE,  Le  Misanthrope^ 

An  honest  man  should  always  keep  a  thorough  con- 
trol over  the  temptation  [literally,  the  itchings]  to 
write. 

De*manger. — Les  doigts,  la  langue,  les  pieds,  les  poings  lui 
demangent=~Ro,  longs  to  write,  to  speak,  to  go  out, 
to  fight. 

Dementi. — -Je  ne  veux  pas  en  avoir  le  dementi '=  It  shall  not 
be  said  I  was  baffled. 

D£mesure". — lien  a  une  envie  demesur'ee  =  He  longs  dread- 
fully for  it. 

SC  D£mettre. — //  s*est  demis  un  bras  =  He  put  one  of 

his  arms  out  of  joint. 
II  s1  est  demis  de  son  emploi—  He  resigned  his  post. 

Demeurant. — Au  demeurant,  bon  homme  = 

[FLORIAN.] 
A  good  fellow  at  bottom. 

Demeure. — On  a  mis  le  fameux  B.  en  demeure  de  prouver 
ses   outrageantes   assertions  —  The   famous    B.    was 
challenged  to  prove  his  outrageous  statements. 
II y  a  peril  en  la  demeure  =  The  thing  brooks  no  delay. 

Demetirer. — J'en  demeure  d*  accord =  I  quite  agree. 
Demeurons-e.n  la  =  Let  us  leave  off  there. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        131 

Un  grand  nombre  de  ses  homines  sont  demeures  en  route  = 

Many  of  his  men  dropped  off  on  the  road. 
fe  ne  voudrais  pas  demeurer  en  reste  avec  eux  =  I  should 
be  sorry  to  be  behind-hand  with  them. 

Demi. — Ne  faites  jamais  rien  a  demi=  Never  do  things  by 

halves. 

//  entend  a  demi-mot  -  He  can  take  a  hint. 
La  demie  va  sofzner—The  half-hour  is  going  to  strike. 
A  trompeur  trompeur  et  demi=  A  biter  bit.     Set  a  thief 

to  catch  a  thief. 

De'mordre. — Elle  n'en  veut  pas  demordre  =  <$>\\&  will  not 
abate  an  inch. 

Denier. — A  beaux  denier s  comptants  —  In  cash,  in  ready 
money. 

Les  deniers  publics  =  The  public  money. 

Le  denier  de  St.  Pierre  =  Peter's  pence. 

Le  denier  a  Dieu  =  Earnest  money. 

Le  denier  de  la  -veuve  =  The  widow's  mite. 

//  a  emprunte  de  r argent  au  denier  vingt,  au  denir  dix, 
au  denier  cinq  =  He  borrowed  money  at  five  per 
cent.,  at  ten  per  cent.,  at  twenty  per  cent. 

C'est  unjoli  denier •  =  It  is  a  nice  little  sum. 

Dent. — Nous  etions  sur  les  dents  =  We  were  tired  to  death. 
Elle  dechire  tout  le  monde  a  belles  dents  =  She  tears 

everybody  to  pieces. 
Elle  ne  manque  jamais  ^occasion  de  lui  donner  un  coup 

de  dent  =  She.  never  misses  an  opportunity  of  having 

a  fling  at  him. 
Je  commence  a  avoir  les  dents  bien  longues  =  I  am  getting 

very  hungry. 
C'est  vouloir prendre  la  lune  avec  les  dents  =  It  is  aiming 

at  impossibilities. 
J'ai  mange  du  bout  des  dents  =  I   have  hardly  eaten 

anything. 
Quand  on  lui  demande  quelque  chose,  il  semble  qu'on  lui 

arrache  une  dent=  He  is  an. awful  miser,  who  can't 

bear  parting  with  anything. 
Elle  fait  ses  dents  =  %\\Q  is  cutting  her  teeth. 


132         FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Ce  fruit  vous  agace  les  dents  =  This  fruit  sets  one's  teeth 

on  edge. 

Je  vois  que  Votre  Majeste  a  toujours  une  dent  secrete 
contre  la  geometric  — 

[D'ALEMBERT,  I^ettre  an  Roi  de  Prtisse.] 
I  see  that  Your  Majesty  keeps  a  secret  grudge 

against  geometry. 
Vous  avez  une  dent  de  /ait  contre  lui= 

[MOLIERE,  Le  Malade  Imaginaire.~\ 
You  have  an  old  grudge  (i.e.,  that  dates  from  your 

childhood)  against  him. 
Elle  a  ri  du  bout  des  dents  =  She  laughed  on  the  wrong 

side  of  her  mouth. 
Son  cheval  a  pris  le  mors  aux  dents  =  His  horse  ran 

away. 

J'ai  une  dent  qui  branle  =  I  have  a  loose  tooth. 
II  lui  vient  du  pain  quandil  n*a  plus  de  dents  =  Fortune 
comes  to  him  when  he  is  no  longer  able  to  enjoy  it. 

D£pareille\ — Prater  facilement  ses  livres,  c'est  malheureuse- 
ment  se  condamner  a  avoir  bien  des  volumes  depareilles 
=  To  lend  readily  one's  books  is  unfortunately  to 
condemn  oneself  to  having  many  odd  volumes. 

D£parie\ — -J'ai  toute  une  collection  de  gants  deparics  =  I 
have  a  whole  collection  of  odd  gloves. 

SC  Ddpartir.— //  n'est pas  homme  a  se  departir  de  son  devoir 
=  He  is  not  a  man  to  shrink  from  his  duty. 

Ddpayser. — -Je  me  sens  tout  depaysc  dans  un  pareil  milieu 

=  I  feel  quite  out  of  my  element  in  such  a  circle. 
II disait  cela pour  nous  depayser=l^Q.  said  that  to  put 
us  on  a  wrong  scent. 

De"pit. — En  depit  du  ban  sens  =  Against  common-sense. 

De"plaire. — Ne  vous  en  deplaise  =  Vj\\h  all  due  deference 
to  you. 

De"pouiller. — //  a  depouille  le  vieil  homme,  le  vieil  Adam  = 
He  has  renounced  his  old  habits;  He  has  turned 
over  a  new  leaf. 
Depouiller  le  scrutin  =  To  reckon  the  votes. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        133 

Depourvu. — J'ai  ete  pris   au   depourvu  —  I  was   taken 

unawares. 
Depuis.- — Depuis  pen  =  A  short  time  since. 

Je  le  connais  depuis  qdilkabite  Londres  *  =  I  have  known 

him  since  he  came  to  live  in  London. 
Deranger. — -Je  crains  de  vous  deranger  =  I  am  afraid  of 

being  in  your  way. 

Ne  vous  derangez  pas  =  Don't  move.     Don't  trouble. 
Derate. — //  court  comme  im  derate  =  He  runs  like  a  grey- 
hound. 
Dernier. — //  met  la  derniere  main  a  son  ouvrage  =  ~Ro,  is 

putting  the  finishing  stroke  to  his  work. 
C'est  de  la  derniere  importance  =  It  is  of  the  greatest 

importance. 

C'est  du  dernier  grotesque  =  It  is  supremely  grotesque. 
En  dernier  ressort ;  en  derniere  analyse  =  Ultimately. 
Oest  id  qdil  a  rendu  le  dernier  soupir  =  It  was  here  that 

he  breathed  his  last. 

Derobe. —  Un  escalier  derobe  =  A  private  staircase. 
S'en  aller  a  la  derobce  =  To  steal  away. 
//  leur  lanfa  un  regard  a  la  derobee  —  He  glanced  at 

them  stealthily. 

se  Derober. — //  s'est  derobe  aux  fclicitatio ns  de  la  foule  = 
He  went  away  to  escape  the  congratulations  of  the 
crowd. 
Et  mes  genoux  tremblants  se  derobent  sous  moi= 

[RACINE.] 
And  my  trembling  knees  fail  under  me. 

se  Derouiller. — //  a  besoin  de  voyager  pour  se  derouiller  = 

He  wants  to  travel  to  rub  off  his  rust. 
De"router. — Cela  vous  deroute=\\.  is  confusing. 
Derriere. —  Un  bon  general  assure  toujours  ses  derrieres  = 

A  good  general  always  places  his  rear  in  safety. 
Je  soupconne  quelque  idee  de  derriere  la  tete=\  suspect 

some  secret  thought. 


*  The  idiomatic  difference  of  construction  in  rendering  depuis  que 
should  be  carefully  noted.     See  remark  on  this  subject  in  Preface. 


134        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Des. — Des  que  ridee  vous  deplatt,  rien  parlons  plus  =  Since 
the  idea  displeases  you,  let  us  not  say  another  word 
about  it. 

SC  De"saccoutlimer. — 11  faudra  qdil  se  desaccoutume  du 
jeu  =  He  will  have  to  leave  off  gambling. 

Ddsarroi. — Tout  est  en  desarroi  dans  la  maison  =  Every- 
thing is  upside  down  in  the  house. 

Descendre. — -Je  descends  toujours  a  cet  hotel  =  I  always  put 
up  at  this  hotel. 

Descente. — A  grande  montee  grande  descente  =  The  greater 
the  rise  the  deeper  the  fall. 

Ddsespoir. — -fen  suis  au  desespoir=\  am  quite  concerned 

about  it. 

En  d'esespoir  de  cause  =  As  a  last  shift.  Hoping  against 
hope. 

Desirer. — Sa  conduite  laisse  a  desirer  =  There  is  room  for 

improvement  in  his  behaviour. 
Ce  travail  ne  laisse  rien  a  desirer  =  That  work  is  perfect. 

De'sorienter. — -Je    suis    d'esoriente=\   am   quite   at   sea: 

thoroughly  perplexed. 
SC   Dessaisir. — La  commission  s'esf  dessaisie  de  la  question 

=  The  committee  gave  up  considering  the  question. 

Desserre*. — Elle  n'a  pas  desserre  les  dents =  She  never 
spoke  a  single  word. 

Desservir. — Desservez  =  Take  away.     Clear  the  table. 

Qiielqdun  m'a  desservi=  Some  one  has  done  me  an 

ill  turn. 

Dessiller. — Cela  m'a  dessille  les  yeux  =  That  undeceived 
me  [lit.  :  unsealed  my  eyes]. 

DeSSOUS. — Us  ont  eu  le  dessous  =  They  got  the  worst  of  it. 

//  a  le  regard  en-dessous  =  He  looks  sly. 

//  les  joue par-dessous  jambe=  He  is  too  sharp  for  them. 

L 'affaire  est  pleine  de  dessous  politiques  =  Political  com- 
plications lurk  under  the  question. 

//  est  au  fait  de  tous  les  dessous  de  Paris  =  He  is 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  under-currents  of 
Paris  life. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        135 

Dessus. — -Les  bleus  fonce  ont  encore  eu  le  dessus  sur  la 

Tamise  =  The  dark  blues  have  again  been  victorious 

on  the  Thames. 

Sens  dessus  dessous  =  Topsy-turvy. 
J'en  ai par-dessus  la  tete  =  I  am  quite  sick  of  it. 
//  vous  patera  par-dessus  Vepaule  =  He  will  never  pay 

you  [fam.  :  over  the  left  shoulder], 
//  affiche  des  pretentions  par-dessus  les  maisons  =  He 

puts  forth  exorbitant  pretensions. 
Voyez  d-dessus  —  See  above. 

La-dessus  il  disparut  =  Thereupon  he  disappeared. 
Je  passe  la-dessus  =  I  say  nothing  about  that. 

Detail. — En  gros  et  en  detail '=  Wholesale  and  retail. 

Contez-nous  cela  en  detail  =  Tell  us  all  the  particulars. 
Ddtaler. —  Vite,  que  I' on  detale  =  Quick,  pack  off  and  be 
gone. 

Detente. — //  est  dur  a  la  detente  [or  :  a  la  desserre\  =  He 
is  close-fisted. 

D£terr£. — II  avait  Fair  d'un  deterre=He,  looked  like  a 
corpse. 

Detour. — Parlez    sans    detour =  Speak    frankly,    plainly. 

Don't  beat  about  the  bush. 
Nourri  dans  le  serail,  fen  connais  les  detours  = 

[RACINE.] 

Brought  up  in  the  seraglio,  I  know  all  its  recesses. 
Nous  avons  pris  un  long  detour  =  We  went  a  long  way 
round. 

D^tourner. — Cela    ne  vous   detournerait  pas   beaucoup  = 

That  would  not  take  you  much  out  of  your  way. 
Louange  detournee  =  Indirect,  delicate  praise. 
Rue  detournee  =  A  by-street. 

D£traqu£. — -Je   le  crois  un  peu  detraque=\  think  he  is 
rather  crazy. 

SC    D^traquer. — Le  temps  se  detraque=^^\\Q,  weather  is 
out  of  order. 


136       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

D£trousser. —  Voit-on  les  loups  brigands,  comme  nous  in- 

humains, 

Pour  detrousser  les  loups  courir  les  grands  chemins  ?  = 

[Bon.EAU,  Satire  VIII.'] 

Are  wolves  ever  seen  prowling  in  the  guise  of 
brigands,    like    our    cruel    selves,    to    plunder 
wolves  along  the  high-roads  ? 
Dette.— //  est  crible  de  defies  ;  il  a  des  defies  par-dessus  la 

tete  =  He  is  over  head  and  ears  in  debt. 
Qui  epouse  la  veuve  epouse  les  dettes  =  One  must  take 

the  good  and  the  bad  together. 
Qui  paie  ses  dettes,  s'enrichit—^>y  paying  one's  debts 

one  grows  richer. 
Cent  ans  de  chagrin  ne  paient  pas  un  sou  de  dettes  = 

Care  killed  the  cat. 
//  a  paye  sa  dette  a  la  nature  —  He  has  gone  over  to 

the  majority. 
Deuil. — -J*en  ai  fait  mon  deuil=  I  have  resigned  myself  to 

the  loss. 

Prendre  le  deuil=  To  go  into  mourning. 
Mener  le  deuil=  To  be  chief  mourner. 
Deux. — De  deux  annees  Pune  =  Every  other  year. 
Je  rien  ai  fait  ni  un  ni  deux  =  I  decided  at  once. 
A  deux  mains  =  With  both  hands. 
C'est  a  deux  pas  d'id=\\.  is   but  a   few  steps  from 

here. 
Nous  avions  vingt  francs  a  nous  deux  =  VJe  had  twenty 

francs  between  us  two. 
On  peut  jouer  a  deux  a  ce  jeu  =  Two  can  play  at  that 

game. 

Je  piquai  des  deux  [i.e.,  des  deux  eperons\  =  I  clapped 
spurs  to  my  horse. 

Quand  les  botufs  Tont  deux  a  deux, 
Le  labour  rien  va  que  mieux  = 

There  is  nothing  like  being  two  to  pull  together. 
Les  deux  font  la  paire  =  They  are  well  matched. 
Devant. — Quand  il  apprit  que  je  me  mettais  sur  les  rangs, 
il  prit  les  devants  =  When  he  heard  that  I  was  a 
candidate,  he  forestalled  me. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        137 

//  va  au-devant  de   vos   desirs  =  He  anticipates  your 

desires. 
Je  vicndrai  ou  fenverrai  au-devant  de  vous  =  I  will  come 

or  send  to  meet  you. 
Devenir. — //  ne  sail  que  devenir  =  He  does  not  know  what 

to  do. 

Que  devenez-vous  ?  —  What  becomes  of  you  ? 
Devers. — Tenir  le  bon  bout  par  devers  soi=To  be  on  the 

right  side  of  the  hedge. 

Devisager. — Uxil  de  ce  physio  nomiste  ne  vous  quitte  pas  : 
il  vous  devisage  des  pieds  a  la  tete,  d'une  fa$on  presque 
genante  =  The  eye  of  that  physiognomist  does  not 
leave  you  :  he  takes  you  to  pieces  from  head  to  foot, 
in  a  way  almost  to  throw  you  out  of  countenance. 
Devoir. — Qui  a  terme  ne  doit  rien  =  One  owes  nothing  till 

the  rent  becomes  due. 

//  doit  plus  d^  argent  qu'il  n'est  gros — //  doit  au  tiers  et 
au  quart =  He  owes  money  on  all  sides,  more  than 
he  can  ever  pay. 
Uorgueil  ne  veut  pas  devoir  =     [LA  ROCHEFOUCAULD.] 

Pride  acknowledges  no  debt. 
Fais  ce  que  dois,  advienne  que  pourra  =  Do  your  duty, 

happen  what  may. 
//  me  /efuut,  dut-il  m'en  couter  foit  cher=  I  must  have 

it,  even  though  it  should  cost  me  ever  so  much. 
Dussiez-vous  vi'en  vouloir  =  Even  though  you  should  be 

angry  with  me. 

DeVolu. — -J'ignore  sur  lequel  des  candidats  vous  avez  jete 
votre  devolu  =  I  don't  know  which  of  the  candidates 
you  have  selected. 
Devorant. — -J'avais  une  soif  devorante  =  I  was  parched  with 

thirst. 

Devotion. — II  riest  de  devotion  que  de  jeune  pretre  =  K 
new  enterprise  is  always  pushed  on  with  energy. 
New  brooms  sweep  clean. 
Dia. — //  n'entend  ni  a  dia  ni  a  huhau  =  There  is  no  making 

him  listen  to  reason. 

L'un  tire  a  dia  et  I'autre  a  hue  —  One  pulls  one  way 
and  the  other  another. 


138       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Diable.* — Aller  au  diable  an  vert  —  'Yo  undertake  a  distant 

dangerous  expedition. 

Quel  diable  d'homme  !  =  What  a  devil  of  a  fellow  ! 
Cet  homme  me  parait  un  assez  bon  diable  = 

[VOLTAIRE.] 

That  man  seems  to  me  a  rather  good-natured  fellow. 
C'esf  un  pauvre  diable  =  He  is  a  poor  wretch. 
//  s'est  fait  "  I'avocat  du  diable'"  dans  cette  discussion 

religieuse='R&  took  upon  himself  to  put  forth  the 

objections  in  that  religious  debate. 
Le  diable  s'en  mele  =  The  devil  is  in  it. 
//  fera  le  diable  a  quatre  =  He  will  make  a  devil  of  a 

row. 
11  fait  un  diable  de  metier  =  He  does  a  queer,  wretched 

business. 

Ilfaut  qu'il  ait  le  diable  au  corps  =  He  must  be  a  des- 
perate character.     It  is  wonderfully  plucky  of  him. 
Us  tirent  Je  diable  par  la  queue  +  =  They  are  very  hard 

up ;  They  jog  on  as  well  as  they  can. 
C'esf  le  diable  qui  bat  sa  femme  —  A  popular  expression 

when  it  rains  and  the  sun  shines  at  the  same  time. 
Nous  avons  eu  une  peur  de  diable  =  We  were  terribly 

frightened. 


*  Aller  au  diable  au  vert.  This  rather  obsolete  phrase  is  a  corrup- 
tion. Au  vert  stands  for  Vauvert,  or  Val  Vert,  the  name  of  a  castle 
close  to  Paris,  towards  the  Barriere  d'Enfer,  which  was  occupied  by 
Philip  Augustus  after  his  excommunication,  and  which  afterwards  was 
said  to  be  haunted  by  ghosts  and  devils.  To  exorcise  those  evil  spirits, 
St.  Louis  gave  the  castle  to  the  Carthusian  monks  in  1257.  It  was 
probably  that  association  of  fiends  with  the  place  that  suggested  the 
present  name  of  "  Rue  d'Enfer"  for  the  thoroughfare  leading  thereto, 
which  was  formerly  called  "  Chemin  de  Vauvert." 

Huet,  however,  thinks  that  the  name  of  "  Rue  d'Enfer"  came  to 
this  road  from  its  being  frequented  by  thieves  and  other  bad  characters. 
But  after  all,  it  may  be  that  the  word  Enfer  is  a  corruption  of  in/era. 
The  street  "  Saint  Jacques  "  was  long  called  Via  superior,  and  the 
street  "D'Enfer,"  which  is  parallel  with  it,  was  known  as  Via  inferior, 
Via  infera — whence  probably  the  final  denomination  of  that  old  road- 
way. 

t  Tirer  le  diable  par  la  queue—11  Le  diable,"  in  this  graphic  expres- 
sion, may  be  presumed  to  do  duty  for  the  pitiless  creditor  or  the  usurer 
who,  in  his  dealings  with  a  needy  party,  is  hard  and  exacting,  and  has 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        139 

Cest  le  diable  de  lui faire  entendre  raison  —  It  is  no  easy 

matter  to  bring  her  to  listen  to  reason. 
Cest  le  diable  a  confesser  =  It  is  a  dreadfully  hard  job. 
Cest  Id  le  diable  =  There's  the  rub. 
Cela  ne  vaut  pas  le  diable  =  That's  not  worth  a  fig. 
Du  diable  si  I' on  y  voit  goutte  =  It  is  impossible  to  see 

through  it. 
//  riest  pas  si  diable  qrfil  est  noir  —  He  is  not  so  black 

as  he  is  painted. 

Que diable  a-t-il?  =  What  the  devil  is  the  matter  with  him? 
De  quoi  diable  vous  melez-vous  ?  =  What  on  earth  are 

you  meddling  with? 

Diable!  c 'est grave  =  Oh,  dear!  the  matter  is  serious. 
//  s'est  debattu  comme  un  beau  diable  =  He  did  struggle, 

I  can  tell  you. 
Elle  a  la  beaute  du  diable  =  She  is  not  pretty,  but  she 

has  the  freshness  of  youth. 
Une  diable  de  pluie  est  venue  tout  gdter  =  A.  wretched 

rain  came  and  spoilt  everything. 
Tout  cela  a  etc  fait  a  la  diable  =  All  that  was  done 

hurriedly,  in  a  wretched  way. 
En   se   cramponnant  a  la  soutane  du  cure,  le  diable 

grimpe  jusque  dans  le  beffroi^'&y  the  vicar's  skirts 

the  devil  climbs  up  into  the  belfry. 
Le  diable  etait  beau  quand  il  etait  jeune  =  A  young  face 

is  never  ugly. 
Quand   le    diable  fut   vieux,   il   se  fit   ermite  =  The 

devil  grew  sick,  and  a  monk  he  would  be : — When 

the  devil  was  ill,  the  devil  a  saint  would  be :  The 

devil  got  well,  the  devil  a  saint  was  he  ? 
Ce  qui  vient  du  diable  retourne  au  diable  =  Ill-gotten 

goods  never  prosper. 


to  be  pulled  at  frantically  with  a  view  to  some  concession  or  new  favour 
being  obtained. 

"  II  faut  que  la  queue  du  diable  lui  soit  soudee,  chevillee  et  vissee  a 
1'echine  d'une  fa9on  bien  triomphante  pour  qu'elle  resiste  a  1'innom- 
brable  multitude  de  gens  qui  la  tirent  perpetuellement "  (VICTOR  HUGO, 
Lucrtce  Borgia}. — The  devil's  tail  must  be  welded,  fastened,  and 
screwed  on  to  his  backbone  in  a  most  marvellous  fashion  to  resist,  as  it 
does,  the  innumerable  multitude  of  folks  that  are  perpetually  pulling  at  it. 


140       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Diantre.* — Diantre!  r affaire   se  corse  =  Dear  me!    the 

matter  is  getting  serious. 

Dieu. — Dieu  mera'/  =  God  be  praised;  thank  God. 
A  Dieu  ne  plaise  =  God  forbid. 

Plut  a  Dieu  qu'il  en  fut  ainsi  =  Would  to  God  it  were  so. 
//  a  jure  ses  grands  dieux  qrfil  ne  leferaitplus=H& 

swore  by  all  that  is  sacred  that  he  would  never  do  it 

again. 
Ce  que  femme  veut,  Dieu  le  veut=A  woman  must  have 

her  way. 
L?  homme  propose,  et  Dieu  dispose  =  Man  does  what  he 

can,  God  what  He  will. 
Ceque  Dieu  garde  est  bien  garde  =  He  is  well  kept  whom 

God  keeps. 

SHI  plait  a  Dieu;  Dieu  aidant  =  Under  God's  will. 
Mieux  vaut  s'adresser  a  Dieu  qu'a  ses  saints  =\\.  is 

always  best  to  apply  to  headquarters. 
Differend. — Partageons  le   differend  =  Let   us    split    the 

difference. 
Differer. — Ce  qui  est  differe  riest  pas  perdu  =  All  is  not 

lost  that  is  delayed.    Forbearance  is  no  acquittance. 
Difficile. —  Vous  etes  trop  difficile  =  You  are  too  particular, 

too  exacting. 
Difficulte". —  Cela  tie  souffre  pas  de  difficulte  =  T\&.\.   is  a 

matter  of  course. 
Je  riai  jamais  eu  la  moindre  difficulte  avec  lui=  I  never 

had  the  slightest  disagreement  with  him. 
//  tranchera  la  difficulte =  He  will  settle  the  knotty 

point. 
Cet  homme  est  le  pere  des  difficultes  =  That  man  is  for 

ever  starting  difficulties. 


*  Diantre,  euphemism  for  diable,  like  bleu  for  Dieu,  in  the  exclama- 
tions corbleu,  morbleu,  parbleu.  To  the  same  class  belongs  the  English 
dear  me,  a  piously-meant  substitution,  through  the  I7th  century  Puri- 
tans, for  the  "  profane"  Dio  mio  of  the  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  when 
the  Italian  favourite  Florio — who  is  credited  with  an  English  translation 
of  Montaigne's  Essais — introduced  Italian  into  England,  as  it  had  been 
introduced  a  short  time  before  into  France,  under  the  auspices  of 
Catherine  of  Medici. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        141 

DigeYer. — Us  ne  peuvent  digerer  cet  affront  —  They  cannot 

brook  that  affront. 
Diligence. — Faites  grande   diligence —  M^&.&   all   possible 

haste. 

C'est  la  diligence  embourbee  =  He  is  a  very  slow  coach. 
Dinde. — C'est  une  dinde  —  ^o.  is  a  goose. 
Dindon. — II  est  bete  comme  un  dindon — gourmand  comme  un 

dindon  —  He  is  as  silly  as  a  goose — as  greedy  as  a 

Pig- 

//  sera  le  dindon  de  la  farce  *  =  He  will  be  the  dupe. 

Diner. — Nous  dinons  en  ville  ce  soir—  We  dine  out  to-night. 

Qui  dort  dlne=  He  who  sleeps  wants  no  dinner. 

fai  dine  par  cmir  =  I  went  without  dinner. 

//  me  semble  que  fai  dine  quand  je  le  vm's  =  The  very 

sight  of  the  man  takes  away  my  appetite. 
Dire. — A  vrai  dire  =  rTo  speak  plainly. 

Pour  ainsi  dire  —  So  to  speak. 

Pour  mieux  dire  =  Or  rather. 

Pour  tout  dire  =  In  a  word. 

Comme  qui  dirait  =  As  one  should  say. 

Qu'est-ce  a  dire  ?  =  What  does  it  all  mean  ? 

C'est  beaitcoup  dire  =  That  is  saying  a  good  deal. 

Par  maniere  de  dire  =  As  it  were. 

//  m' a  fait  dire  qu'il  viendrait=~K.Q  sent  me  word  that 
he  would  come. 

Je  me  le  suis  laisse  dire  =  I  have  been  given  to  under- 
stand that  such  was  the  case. 

Voyons,  laissez-vous  dire  =  Come,  be  persuaded. 

Tenez-le  vous  pour  dit=  Bear  that  in  mind. 

A  qui  le  dites-vous  ?  =  I  believe  you.    I  know  all  about  it. 

Soit  dit  en  passant '=  Let  it  be  said  by  the  way. 

Tout  cela  ne  dit  Hen  =  All  that  goes  for  nothing. 

Vous  I'avez  dit  —  Just  so ;  you  guessed  right. 

C'est  tout  dire  =  That's  enough.     That  tells  a  tale. 


*  In  olden  times,  actors  playing  the  part  of  dupes  in  farcical  plays 
were  called  Pires  dindoiis,  as  an  allusion  to  the  stupidity  of  turkeys. 
Hence  the  expression,  Ktre  le  dindon  de  la  farce ;  En  clre  le  dindon,  to 
be  made  a  dupe  of. 


142        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Tout  cela  est  ban  a  dire,  mat's  .  .  .  =  That's  all  very 

fine,  but  ... 

Dites-moi,  arretez  done  =  I  say,  stop. 
Laissez  dire  —  Let  people  talk. 
//  a  toujours  quelque  chose  a  dire  —  He  has  always  some 

fault  to  find. 
Nous  vivons  a  une  triste  epoque,  il  riy  a  pas  a  dire  =  We 

live  in  sad  times,  there  is  no  denying  it. 
//  etait  dit  qu'il  me  jouerait  encore  ce  tour-la  =  It  was 

written  that  he  should  again  play  me  that  trick. 
Qu'on  se  le  dise  !  —  A  word  to  the  wise. 
Qui  rent  dit  ?  =  Who  would  have  thought  it  ? 
Si  cela  ne  vous  plait  pas,  voila  qui  est  dit—  If  it  does 

not  please  you,  there's  an  end  of  it. 
Si  celle-la  (cette  plante)  vous  distrait  un  poco  de  vos 

soucis,  .  .  .  tout  est  dit  =  [SAINTINE,  Picciola.} 

If  this  one  relieves  you  un  poco  from  your  cares, 

that  is  quite  enough. 
Au  dire  de  bons  juges  =  In  the  expressed  opinion  of 

good  judges. 

Puisqueje  vous  dis  /  [familiar]  =  Why,  really  ! 
Mais,  quandje  vous  dis  !  =  Well,  I  never  ! 
Vous  dire  ce  quefai  souffert  t     Non,  vous  auriez  peine 

a  le  croire  =  You  would  hardly  believe  me  were  I  to 

tell  you  what  I  had  to  endure. 
Je  vous   le  disais   bien !      Quand  je  vous   le   disais ! 

[i.e.,  N'avais-je pas  raison  ?]  =  Didn't  I  tell  you  ? 
Lui  fier  !     Si  fon  peut  dire  ?=  He  proud  !     How  can 

you  say  such  a  thing  ? 
Et  dire  que  je  les  ai  toujours  traites  avec  tant  de  bonte  = 

And  to  think  I  always  treated  them  so  kindly. 
Ah  t  vous  m'en  direz  tant  t  —  Well,  well,  that's  another 

matter.     Now  I  see. 

Ce  riest  qu'un  on  dit=  It  is  but  an  idle  report. 
Ce  n'est  pas  a  dire  que  .  .  .  =  It  does  not  follow  that  .  .  . 
Si  le  cceur  vous  en  dit=\t  you  have  a  mind  for  it. 
Cela  va  sans  dire  =  It  is  a  matter  of  course. 
Aussitot  dit,  aussitot  fait =  No  sooner  said  than  done. 
Un  soi-disant  gentilhomme  =  A  self-styled,  would-be 

nobleman. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        143 

Voulez-vous  qtion  dise  du  bien  de  vous  ?  n'en  dites  pas  = 

[PASCAL.] 

If  you  wish  to  be  praised,  do  not  praise  yourself. 
Dis-moi  qui  tu  hantes,  je  te  dirai  qui  tu  es  — 
Tell  me  with  whom  thou  goest, 
I'll  tell  thee  what  thou  doest. 
Discorde. — C'est  une  pomme  de  discorde  =  It  is  a  bone  of 

contention. 
//  fomente  partout  la  discorde  =  He  sows  dissension 

everywhere. 
Discretion. — //  y  vit  a  discretion  [military]  =  He  has  free 

quarters  there. 

Pain  a  discretion  =  Bread  ad  libitum. 
Je  m'en  remets  a  votre  discretion  =  I  leave  the  matter  to 

your  judgment. 

SC  Discuter. — C'est  un  dogme  qui  ne  se  discute  pas  =  It  is  a 
dogma  that  admits  of  no  discussion. 

Diseur.* — Diseur  de  bans  mots,  mauvais  caractere  = 

[PASCAL.] 

A  man  addicted  to  saying  sharp  things  [witticisms] 

is  generally  ill-natured. 

Les  grands  diseurs  ne  sont  pas  les  grands  faiseurs  = 
Deeds,  not  words. 


*  Diseur  de  bans  mots,  mauvais  caractere.  This  saying  of  Pascal, 
which  refers  not  to  the  English  sense  of  bad  character,  but  to  that  of 
ill-tempered,  or  rather  to  the  sense,  generally  prevailing  in  the  lyth 
century,  of  ill-natured,  reminds  me  of  an  ill-natured  attack  in  a  leading 
London  paper  against  a  highly  honourable  Cambridge  professor,  who 
had  taken  up  the  cudgels  in  defence  of  the  then  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, when  the  venerable  prelate  had  been  denounced  by  an  anonymous 
correspondent  of  the  great  newspaper  as  being  too  old,  and  inefficient 
as  a  preacher  in  comparison  with  the  late  Mr.  Spurgeon  !  Professor  J. 
having  aptly  quoted  the  saying  in  question,  the  said  correspondent,  who 
turned  out  to  be  closely  connected  with  the  editorial  staff  of  the  news- 
paper in  question,  took  an  unfair  advantage  of  his  position  to  assail  him 
personally  for  presuming  to  defend  the  Archbishop,  and  sneeringly 
remarked  that  if  Pascal  had  never  said  anything  more  judicious  than 
this  about  "bad  characters,"  his  name  would  long  ago  have  been  buried 
as  completely  in  oblivion  as  that  of  the  Cambridge  professor  (bearing, 
we  were  indiscreetly  told,  the  name  of  one  of  the  great  prophets)  would 
assuredly  be  before  long.  Now,  it  happens  that  no  less  a  judge  than 


144        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Disponibilite.  —  Offider    en    disponibilite  =  Unattached 

officer. 
Distance. — A  distance!     Arriere/=Keep  your  distance! 

Stand  back ! 

De  distance  en  distance  —  At  certain  distance. 
Distraction. — //  est  sujet  a  des  distractions  —  He  is  subject 

to  absence  of  mind. 

La  conversation  est  une  distraction,  et  non  un  tr avail = 
Conversation  (says  Mackintosh)  is  relaxation,  not 
business. 

Distraire. — II  faut  distraire  une  portion  de  cette  somme  pour 
les  dcpenses  =  A  portion  of  that  sum   must  be  set 
apart  for  the  expenses. 
77  a  distrait  certains  papiers  d'etat  —  He  carried  off 

certain  state  papers.  -• 

Cela  distrait  son  attention  =  That  takes  off  his  attention. 
Allez  au  theatre :   cela  vous  distraira  *  —  Go   to   the 

theatre  :  it  will  cheer  you  up. 
Divertir. — Ce  commis  a  diverti  les  denier s  de  sa  recette  = 

That  clerk  embezzled  money. 

Les  femmes  preferent  meme  qu'on  les  divertisse  sans  les 
aimer,  plutdt  que  de  les  aimer  sans  les  divertir  = 

[FONTENELLE.] 

Women  would  even  rather  be  amused  without 
being  loved,  than  be  loved  without  being 
amused. 


La  Bruyere  himself  actually  endorsed  Pascal's  verdict.  The  fact  is,  the 
"ill-natured  "  journalist  had  fully  justified,  by  his  uncharitable  attack, 
the  application  to  his  case  of  a  remark,  the  wording  of  which  he  had 
piteously  misconstrued;  for  "a  bad  character"  in  the  English  sense 
does  not  mean  "un  mauvais  caractere,"  and  may  have  nothing  in  com- 
mon with  a  bad,  heartless  nature — "  Diseur  de  bons  mots,  mauvais 
caractere,"  remarks  somewhat  severely  La  Bruyere,  "je  le  dirais,  s'il 
n'avait  ete  dit.  Ceux  qui  nuisent  a  la  reputation  ou  a  la  fortune  des 
autres  plutot  que  de  perdre  un  bon  mot,  meritent  une  peine  infamante  ; 
cela  n'a  pas  ete  dit,  et  je  1'ose  dire." 

*  Distraire,  distraction,  from  the  Latin  distrahere,  to  turn  or  pull 
aside  in  another  direction.  It  should  be  noticed  that  the  English  verb 
"  To  distract,"  although  from  the  same  root  as  the  corresponding  French 
verb,  is  in  its  sense  the  very  opposite  of  distraire,  which,  in  sentences 
like  the  last  one  introduced  above  under  that  heading,  implies  amuse- 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        145 

Dizaine. — Us  etaient  une  dizaine  =  They  were  about  ten. 

Doigt. — -J'en  mettrais  le  doigt  au  feu  =  I  would  lay  my  life 

upon  it. 
Vous  avez  mis  le  doigt  dessus  —  You  have  hit  the  right 

nail  on  the  head. 
Je  prendrai  tm  doigt  de  vin  =  I  will  take  a  little  sip  of 

wine. 
On  lui  a  donne  sur  les  doigts  =  He  got  a  rap  on  his 

knuckles. 

On  le  montrait  au  doigt  =  He  was  pointed  at. 
I  Is  sont  a  deux  doigts  de  leur  ruine  —  They  are  on  the 

very  brink  of  ruin. 
//  est  a  deux  doigts  de  la  mort=  He  has  one  foot  in  the 

grave. 

Vous  vous  en  mordrez  les  doigts  =  You  shall  smart  for  it. 
Vous   vans   en   Iccherez   les   doigts  =  You  will    find  it 

excellent. 
Us  sont  comme  les  deux  doigts  de  la  main  =  They  are 

hand  and  glove  together. 

Mon  petit  doigt  me  /'a  dit  =  A  little  bird  told  me. 
//  a  de  P  esprit jusqu'au  bout  des  doigts  =  He  is  extremely 

witty. 
//  nous  a  fait  toucher  la  chose  au  doigt  —  He  showed  us 

the  thing  plainly. 
Us  lui  obeissent  au  doigt  et  a  Vceil=  They  are  at  his 

beck  and  call. 
//  n'a  jamais  fait  xuvre  de  ses  dix  doigts  =  He  never 

would  work. 


ment,  relaxation.  Both  meanings,  however,  can  be  accounted  for 
etymologically.  In  the  French  verb  the  prefix  dis  stands  for  away,  so 
that  distraire  is  to  draw  away  from  one's  worries,  or  harassing  work  or 
study,  and  thereby  to  procure  relief  and  pleasure.  In  the  English  verb 
dis  means  asunder ;  so  that  "To  distract"  is  to  draw  asunder,  to  pull 
now  to  the  right,  now  to  the  left — in  short,  "to  split,"  and  thus  to 
inflict  pain. 

The  same  discrepancy  affects,  from  one  language  to  the  other,  the 
substantive  distraction,  which  in  French  expresses  pleasure,  whilst,  to 
quote  an  instance  that  will  go  home  to  my  fellow-Londoners,  the  sense 
of  the  English  "distraction"  is  painfully  forced  on  the  metropolitan 
mind  and  ears  by  the  too  familiar  infliction  of  Italian  organ-grinding. 
VOL.  I.  K 


146        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

C'est  une  bague  au  doigt  =\i  is  an  easy  berth.  It  is  a 
valuable  thing,  to  be  easily  disposed  of. 

Ne  mets  ton  doigt  en  anneau  trop  etroit—  Beware  of  an 
unequal  partnership. 

Entre  Farbre  et  Fecorce  il  ne  faut  pas  mettre  le  doigt  = 
Never  interfere  between  man  and  wife. 

Dominant. — C'est  sa  passion  dominante=\\.  is  his  ruling 
passion. 

Dommage. — C^est  grand  dommagel  —  \\.  is  a  great  pity. 

Done. — Allans  done! — Ecoutez  done  =  Come,  come — Just 

listen. 
Venez  done  me  voir  =  Do  come  and  see  me. 

Donnee. —  Void  des    donnees    historiques    interessantes  = 
Here  are  interesting  historical  records. 

Donner. — -Je  ne  sais  ou  donner  de  la  tete  =  I  don't  know 

which  way  to  turn. 
//  a  donne  tete  baissee  dans  le  panneau  =  He  rushed 

headlong  into  the  trap. 
Qui  donne  tot  donne  deux  fois  =  He  gives  twice  who 

gives  in  a  trice. 
Je  vous  le  donne  en  cent  =  \  bet  you  a  hundred  to  one 

you  will  never  guess. 
Cela  m'a  donne  apenser,  a  reflechir  =  It  made  me  think  ; 

( it  set  me  a-thinking. 
A  qui  est-ce  a  donner  ?  =  Whose  deal  is  it  ? 
Quel  age  lui  donneriez-vous  ?  =  How  old  would  you 

think  him  to  be? 
Ce  vin  donne  a  la  tete  =  This  wine  flies  up  into  the 

head. 

//  a  donne  de  la  tete  en  tombant=  He  fell  upon  his  head. 
Us  donnent  dans  le  luxe  =  They  go  in  for,  they  indulge 

in,  luxury. 
Son  regiment  n'a  pas  donne  —  His  regiment  was  not 

engaged. 
Us  se  sont  donne  une  cordiale  poignee  de  mains  =  They 

shook  hands  warmly. 
Us  s'en  donnent  a  cxur-joie  =  They  thoroughly  enjoy 

themselves. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        147 

Mon  balcon  donne  sur  le  boulevard '=  My  balcony  looks 

out  upon  the  boulevard. 
Vous  nous  la  donnez  belle —  Vous  nous  la  donnez  bonne 

[elliptically  for  la  plaisanterie\  =  You  are  imposing 

on  our  credulity. 
//  itest pas  homme  a  donner  la-dedans  =  He  is  not  one 

to  be  taken  in  by  that. 
Us  se  donnent  du  bon  temps  =  They  make  a  merry  life 

of  it. 
Pourquoi  se  donner  la  tete  centre  un  mur  ?  =  Why  knock 

one's  head  against  a  wall  ? 
Dormant,  donnant  =  Give  and  take.     Do  ut  des. 
Dore. — Cheveux  d'un  blond  dore  =  Flaxen  hair. 
Dormir. — Elle  dort  comme  une  marmotte  ;  comme  un  sabot ; 

a  poingsfer>ucs  =  'S\\e  sleeps  like  a  top. 
//  dort  la  grasse  matinee  =  He  lies  late  in  bed. 
Vous  pouvez  dormir  sur  les  deux  oreilles  =  You  may 

sleep  in  perfect  security. 
Le  bien  leur  vient  en  <i5wwa/r/=*They  grow  rich  without 

work  or  trouble. 

Je  dor  mats  debout  =  I  could  not  keep  my  eyes  open. 
J\ii  dormi  un  bon  somme  =  I  have  had  a  good  nap. 
Je  ne  veux  pas  laisser  dormir  ces  capitaux  =  I  don't 

want  that  capital  to  lie  dormant. 
N^eveillez  pas  le  chat  qui  dort  =  Do   not   rouse   the 

sleeping  lion. 
//  n'est  pire  eau  que  I'eau  qui  dort  —  Still  waters  run 

deep. 

Tu  dors,  Brutus,  tu  dors,  et  Rome  est  dans  les  fers  = 

[VOLTAIRE.] 

Awake,  Brutus,  awake  !     Rome  is  enslaved. 
Dos. — //  a  bon  dos,  it  peut  payer  =13.0.  has  a  strong  back, 

he  can  afford  to  pay. 
On  ltd  a  tout  mis  sur  le  dos  —  They  threw  the  whole 

blame  upon  him. 
//  a  une  nombreuse  famille  sur  le  dos  =  He  is  saddled 

with  a  large  family. 
Nallez  pas  vous  mettre  cet  homme-la  a  dos  =  Don't  go 

and  make  an  enemy  of  that  man. 


148        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 


Lejuge  les  a  renvoyes  dos  a  dos  =  The  judge  nonsuited 

them  both. 

II  fait  le  gros  dos  —  'Re,  assumes  an  air  of  importance. 
Ces  braves  ont  eu  vite  tourne  le  dos  =  Those  plucky 

fellows  soon  took  to  their  heels. 
//  se  laisse  manger  la  laine  sur  le  dos  =  He  tamely 

submits  to  every  imposition. 

J'en  ai  plein  le  dos  —  I  am  quite  tired,  quite  sick,  of  it. 
Dot.  —  Un  coureur  de  dots  —  k.  fortune-hunter. 
Doter.*  —  II  a  richement  dote  safille  qifil  aime  eperdument  — 
He  has  given  a  very  handsome  marriage  portion  to 
his  daughter,  on  whom  he  dotes. 

Double.  —  Tenir  des  livres  en  partie  double  =  To  keep  books 
by  double  entry. 


*  I  have  made  up  this  sentence  purposely  to  bring  out  the  great 
difference  of  meaning  between  Doter,  to  endow,  and  To  dote,  raffoler, 
as  a  sequel  to  the  preceding  note  on  the  distinction  between  the  French 
verbs  Distraire  and  Divertir,  and  the  English  verbs  To  distract  and  To 
divert.  The  student  should  also  carefully  distinguish  between  Abuser, 
to  deceive,  and  To  abuse,  insult er — Agreer,  to  accept,  and  To  agree, 
convenir — Attendre,  to  wait  for,  to  expect,  and  To  [attend,  soigner, 
s'occuper  de,  suivre — Avertir,  to  warn,  and  To  advertise,  annoncer, 
publier — Aviser,  to  consider,  and  To  advise,  conseiller. 

Equally  deserving  of  special  notice  is  the  contrast  between  Demander, 
to  ask,  and  To  demand,  exiger — Ignorer,  to  be  ignorant  of,  unacquainted 
with,  and  To  ignore,  dedaigner,  ne  pas  admettre — Injurier,  to  insult, 
and  To  injure,  nuire  a,  blesser — Labottrer,  to  plough,  and  To  labour, 
travailler,  s'efforcer  de — Menager,  to  spare,  and  To  manage,  diriger — 
Regarder,  to  look  at,  and  To  regard,  estimer — Resumer,  to  sum  up,  and 
To  resume,  reprendre.  [It  is  curious  to  notice  that  even  so  accomplished 
a  scholar  as  W.  Hazlitt,  in  his  translation  of  Guizot's  Histoire  de  la 
Revolution  d'Angleterre,  should  have  confounded  these  two  verbs,  and 
rendered,  Strafford  rest/ma  sa  defense,  by  "  Strafford  resumed  his 
defence," — instead  of  "summed  up" — which  shows,  be  it  said  en 
passant,  that  the  current  of  blunders  from  one  language  to  the  other 
runs  equally  strong  to  and  fro  across  the  Channel.] 

Again,  I  would  call  attention  to  the  analogy  or  similitude  of  form 
calculated  to  mislead  between  Butter,  to  stumble,  and  To  butter, 
flatter — Gounnander,  to  reprimand,  and  To  gormandise,  se  gorger, 
manger  goulument — Sitter,  to  hoist  up,  and  To  hiss,  siffler — Humer, 
to  inhale,  and  To  hum,  fredonner — Hurler,  to  howl,  and  To  hurl, 
lancer,  precipiter — Tirer,  to  draw,  and  To  tire,  fatigiier — Trtpasser,  to 
die,  and  To  trespass,  transgresser,  enfreindre — Troubler,  to  disturb,  to 
confuse,  and  To  trouble,  inquieter,  importuiter. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        149 

Cet  article  fait  double  emploi  sur  votre  relevc  de  compte  = 
This  item  figures  twice  in  your  statement  of  account. 
Gardez  le  double  =  Keep  the  duplicate. 
C'est  un  double  coquin,  un  double  fripon  =  He  is  an 

arrant  knave. 

Les  homines  doubles  sont  utiles  en  ce  qu'ils  apportent ; 
mais  il  se  faut  garder  qu'ils  rfemportent  que  le  mains 
qu'onpeut=  [MONTAIGNE.] 

Double-faced  men  are  useful  so  far  as  what  they 
bring ;  but  one  must  be  careful  that  they  shall 
carry  off  as  little  as  possible. 

Jouons  a  quitte  ou  double  =  Let  us  play  double  or  quits. 
Mais  le  fut-il  deux  fois  (i.e.,  bossti) — que  cela  ne  te  trouble, 
II  nfapparait  souvent  ainsi,  quand  fy  vois  double — 
//  serai t  ton  mari=         [COFFEE,  Le  Luthier  de  Crtmoiie.} 
But  even  though  he  were  twice  so  [hunchbacked] — 
let  not  that  disturb  you ;  he  often  appears  thus 
to  me  when   I   see  double — he  would  be  your 
husband. 

Que  vois-je,  mes  amis  ?     Que  I  nuage  vous  trouble  ?  .  .  . 
Ou  vous  n'y  voyez  pas,  ou  vous  y  voyez  double  I*  — 

[BERCHOUX,  La  Gastronomic.} 

What  do  I  behold,  my  friends  ?     You  either  don't 
see,  or  see  double. 

Doucement. — Notre  cher  malade  va  bien  doucement :=  Our 
dear  patient  is  but  poorly,  progresses  slowly. 


*  "  Quand  fy  vois  double." — "  Ou  vous  n'y  voyez  pas,  ou  vous  y 
voyez  double."  I  venture  to  reproduce  here  a  note  from  my  English 
edition  of  Coppee's  Luthier  de  Cremone,  p.  57  : — "  This  phenomenon  of 
double  vision,  as  the  immediate  result  of  drink,  is  evidently  the  same 
under  every  clime,  and  it  would  seem  that  the  same  cause  produces  the 
opposite  effect  in  certain  individuals,  to  wit,  the  well-known,  and,  for 
aught  I  know,  perfectly  authentic  dialogue  between  Mr.  Pitt  and  Mr. 
Dundas  on  their  entering  arm-in-arm  one  night  the  House  of  Com- 
mons :  '  Why,  Pitt,  I  don't  know  what's  the  matter  with  me  :  I  can't 
s(h)ee  the  S(h)peaker.' — '  How  s(h)trange  !  /  can  s(h)ee  two.' " 

I  have  taken  the  latter  quotation,  Ou  vous  u'y  voyez  fas,  ou  vous  y 
voyez  double,  from  a  remarkable  work,  Les  Classiques  de  la  Table,  which 
deserves  to  be  better  known.  My  copy  of  it,  published  1 1  Rue  Therese, 
Paris,  and  enriched  by  many  excellent  portraits,  is  dated  1844. 


150       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Douceur. — II  faut  la  prendre  par  la  douceur  =  You  must 

deal  gently  with  her. 

Ces  pauvres  gens  ne  goutent  gucre  les  douceurs  de  la  vie  = 
These  poor  people  know  little  of  the  comforts  of 
life. 
Plus  fait  douceur  que  violence  =  Gentleness  is  better 

than  harshness. 
Je  n'aime  pas  qifon  me  dise  des  douceurs,  moi= 

[Gil  Bias.} 
I  don't  want  people's  compliments,  not  I. 

Douillet. —  Voyons,  ne  faites  done  pas  le  douillet  =  Come, 
don't  be  afraid  of  being  hurt. 

Doute. — Le  doute,  disent  certains  philosophes,  est  le  com- 
mencement de  la  sagesse  =  Doubt,  say  some  philo- 
sophers, is  the  beginning  of  wisdom. 
Cela  nefait  aucun  doute  =  There  is  no  question  about  it. 
Mettre,  revoquer  une  chose  en  doute  =  To  question  the 
accuracy  of  a  statement. 

Douter.     (fen  doute  =1  doubt  it. — Je  trien  doute  =  I 
se  Douter.  |      suspect  it. 

//  ne  doute  de  rien  —  He  thinks  he  can  do  anything.  — 
//  ne  se  doute  de  rien  =  He  suspects  nothing. 
Je  me  doutais  de  quelque  chose  =  I  smelt  a  rat. 

Doux. — Ilfilera  doux,je  vous  le  promets  =  l^Q.  will  submit 

readily  enough,  I  can  tell  you. 
Tout  doux,  vous  dis-je  =  Gently,  I  tell  you. 

Douzaine. —  C'esf  un  ecrivain  a  la  douzaine=  He  is  a  very 

indifferent  writer. 

On  rten  trouve  pas  treize  a  la  douzaine  =  They  are  by 
no  means  common. 

Doyen. — C'esf  notre  doyen  d'dge  =  He  is  our  senior  member. 

Dragee. — La  dragee  est  amere  =  It  is  a  bitter  pill. 

Vous  lui  tenez  la  dragee  bien  haute  =  \ou  make  him 
pay  dear ;  you  keep  him  a  long  time  waiting  for  the 
promised  favour. 

Dragon. — Quel  dragon  que  cette  femmc  !  —-  What  a  virago 
that  woman  is  ! 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        151 

Drap. —  Vous  voila  dans  de  beaux  draps  !  —  You  are  in  a 

pretty  mess. 
Vous  me  mettez  dans  de  beaitx  draps  blancs^  a  ce  que  je 

vois  =  [MOLIERE.] 

You  put  me  in  a  fine  pickle,  I  see. 
//  a  de  quoi  tailler  en  plein  drap  =  He  can  do  what  he 

likes. 
Le  farceur  voudrait  avoir  le  drap  et  I' argent  =  The  rogue 

would  like  to  eat  his  cake  and  have  it  still. 
Drapeau. — //  est  sous  les  drapeaux =  He  is  serving  in  the 

army. 
Le  drapeau  dechire  fait  la  gloire  du  capitaine  =  A  torn 

flag  redounds  to  the  captain's  credit. 
Dresser. — Cela  fait  dresser  les  cheveux  a  la  tete  =  It  makes 

one's  hair  stand  on  end. 
C'esf  un   animal  bien   dresse  =  It  is  a  well -trained 

animal. 
Droit. —  C'esf  a  bon  droit  qu'il  se  plaint  =  He  has  good 

reason  to  complain. 
Adressez-vous  a  qui  de  droit  =  Apply  to  those  whom  it 

may  concern. 
Ou  il  n'y  a  rien  le  roi perd  ses  droits  =  Where  nothing 

is  to  be  had,  the  king  loses  his  right. 
Malgre  son  age,  il  est  droit  comme  un  /=  In  spite  of  his 

great  age,  he  is  as  straight  as  an  arrow. 
C'est  un  homme  droit  =  He  is  an  upright  man. 
Je  le  ferai  marcher  droit  =  I'll  see  that  he  behaves 

properly. 
On  a  fait  droit  a  sa  demande  =  rThe  justice  of  his  claim 

was  admitted. 

Cela  lui  revient  de  droit '=  It  is  his  by  right. 
Ecole  de  droit ;  Etudiant  en  droit  =  School  of  law  ; 

Law  student. 
Les  droits  acquis  sont  tres  respectes  en  Angleterre  = 

Vested  interests  are  very  much  respected  in  England. 
Le  droit  des  gens  =  The  law  of  nations. 

Drole. — Cet  homme  est  drole  ;  <?est  un  drole  de  corps  =  That 

man  is  funny ;  he  is  a  queer  fellow. 
Cet  homme  est  un  drole  =  That  man  is  a  villain. 


152        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Dru. —  Une  pluie  drue  et  menue  =  A  thick  rain,  hard  and 

fast. 
Les  balks  pleuvaient  dru  comme  grcle  =  The  bullets  fell 

as  thick  as  hail. 

Dur. — Nous  avons  souvent  couche  sur  la  dure  \terre  under- 
stood] =  We  often  slept  on  the  bare  ground. 
Nous  en  avons  vu  de  dures  \choses  understood]  =  We 

have  had  to  rough  it. 
//  a  I'oreille  dure  =  He  is  hard  of  hearing. 
C'est  un  dur  a  cuire  =  He  is  a  tough  one. 
Quand  Pun  veut  du  mou,  Vautre  veut  du  dur  =  Those 

two  never  agree. 
C'est  dur  a  digerer=\\.  is  hard  to  bear  [familiarly, 

It  is  hard  lines.] 
Durant. — -//  en  aura  la  jouissance  sa  vie  durant=^.o.  will 

enjoy  the  benefit  of  it  during  his  lifetime. 
//  m'a  sermonne  une  heure  durant=  He  lectured  me  for 

a  whole  hour. 

Durer. — //  tie  pent  durer  en  place  =  He  cannot  keep  still. 
//  ne  peut  durer  dans  sa  peau  =  He  is  ever  ready  to  leap 

out  of  his  skin. 

11 faut faire  vie  qui  dure  =  One  must  make  life  last. 
//  faut  faire  feu  qui  dure  -  One  must  think  of  the 

morrow,  and  not  spend  all  in  a  day. 
Qa  durera  tant  que  fa  pourra  [familiar]  =  A  short  life 

and  a  merry  one. 

E. 

Eau. — De  I' eau  benite  de  cour  =  Empty  promises. 

D affaire  est  tombee  dans  I'eau  =  The  affair  came  to 

nothing. 

Cela  s'en  est  alle  en  eau  de  boudin  =  It  collapsed  entirely. 
Tout  est  alle  a  vau  Feau  =  All  went  to  wreck  and  ruin. 
Us  n'y  ont  fait  que  de  I'eau  claire  =  They  spent  their 

labour  in  vain. 

//  tombe  de  I'eau  =  It  is  raining. 
Le  vent  est  a  I'eau  =  The  wind  is  in  the  wet  quarter. 
Afleur  d'eau  =  Qn  a  level  with  the  water. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH  IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        153 

Les  eaux  sont  basses  chez  lui=  He  is  hard  up — at  a  low 

ebb. 
//  commence  a  revenir  sur  feau  =  He  is  holding  up  his 

head  again. 
J'etais  sur  que  cet  incident  reviendrait  sur  Feau  —  I  felt 

sure  that  that  incident  would  be  revived,  would  turn 

up  again. 

Us  nagent  en  pleine  eau  —  They  are  most  prosperous. 
//  cherche  a  nagerentre  deux  eaux=  He  wavers  between 

the  two  parties. 
//  aime  a  pecker  en  eau  trouble  =  He  likes  to  fish  in 

troubled  waters. 
C'est  porter  de  Feau  a  la  riviere  =\\.  is  carrying  coals 

to  Newcastle. 
Vous  nous  en  faites  venir  Feau  a  la  bouche  =  \QM  make 

our  mouths  water. 
//  s  ait  fair e  venir  Feau  au  moulin  =  He  knows  how  to 

bring  grist  to  his  mill. 

Ileau  va  toujours  au  moulin  =  Money  makes  money. 
Le  malheureux  suait  sang  et  eau  =  The  poor  fellow 

toiled  hard — he  slaved. 

//  est  comme  le  poisson  dans  Feau  —  He  lives  in  clover. 
Us  se  ressemblent  comme  deux  gouttes  d'eau  =  They  are 

as  like  as  two  peas. 
Us  vont  tous  les  ans  aux  eaux  =  They  go  every  year  to 

a  watering-place. 
//  a  mis  de  Feau  dans  son  vin  =  He  has  come  down  a 

peg  or  two. 

Mes  souliers  prennent  Feau  =  My  shoes  let  in  water. 
Notre  navire  faisait  eau  =  Our  ship  had  sprung  a  leak. 
C'esf  tout  bonnement  un  coup  d^epee  dans  Feau  =  It  is 

simply  beating  the  air — a  futile  attempt. 
D'ici  la,  il  passera  bien  de  Feau  sous  le  pont=TAxny 

things  will  happen  before  that. 
Une  goutte  d'eau  suffit  pour  fair  e  deborder  un  vase  plein 

—  It  is  the  last  straw  that  breaks  the  camel's  back. 
Laissons  cottier  Feau  =  Never  mind,  let  things  have 

their  run. 
Goutte  a  goutte,  Feau  cave  la pierre  =  Continual  dropping 

wears  away  stones. 


154       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

//  nefaut  pas  dire  ;  fontaine,  je  ne  boirai  jamais  de  ton 

eau  —  After  scorning  comes  catching.      You  never 

know  what  you  may  come  to. 
Tenir  les  gens  le  bee  dans  Feau  =  [See  BEC.] 
Tant  va  la  cruche  a  Veau  qtfa  la  fin  elle  se  casse  =  [See 

CRUCHE.] 
II  rfest pire  eau  que  Feau  qui  dort~\^>e&  DORMIR.] 

. — Ilfaut  de  r indulgence  pour  les  ccarts  de  jeiinesse  — 

One  must  be  lenient  for  the  errors  "of  youth. 
Je  vois  un  serieux  ecart  entre  les  recettes  et  les  d'epenses  = 

I  see  a  material  discrepancy  between  the  receipts 

and  the  expenditure. 
Son  cheval  fit  un  ecart  et  le  dcsarconna  =  His  horse 

stepped  aside  and  threw  him  off  the  saddle. 
Je  me  suis  tenu  a  r  ecart  =  I  kept  aloof. 
liCarter. — Jzcartez  cette  pens'ce  de  votre  esprit  =  Dismiss 

that  thought  from  your  mind. 
Sa  demande  en  justice  fut  ecartee  =  His  demand  was 

rejected  by  the  court. 
Ecartez  un  pen  /esjaml>es  =  ]ust  spread  open  your  legs 

a  little. 

Un  endroit  ecarte  =  Kn  out-of-the-way  place. 
s'licarter.  —  Cela  Jecarte  du  but  =  That  is  wide  of  the 

mark. 
//  fecarte  de  ses  devoirs  —  He  forgets  his  duties. 

lichange. — AduatgciUcsipasvol**  Exchange  is  no  robbery. 
La  liberte  des  echanges  =  Free  trade. 

lichapper. — Son  nom  trfest  echappe  de  la  m'emoire  =  His 

name  has  slipped  my  memory. 
Comment   une  parole   si   imprudente   a-t-elle  pu    lui 

echapper  ?  —  How  can  he  have  dropt  so  imprudent  a 

word? 
Nous  Pavons  echappe  belle  =  We  had  a  narrow  escape. 

tcharpe. — II porte  le  bras  en  echarpe=  He  carries  his  arm 

in  a  sling. 
Us  ont  change  d'echarpe  =  They  have  changed  colours. 

tchasse. — //  est  toujours  monte  sur  des  echasses  =  He  is 
ever  making  use  of  high-sounding  words. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        155 

EchaudA* — Chat  echaudc  craint  Peaufroide  =  [See  CHAT.] 
Echauffer. — //  ne  fait  pas  bon  lui  cchaiiffer  les  oreilles  =  It 
is  not  safe  to  rouse  his  anger. 

s'Echauffer. — La  querelk  s'echauffait  =  The  quarrel  was 

getting  serious. 

Ce  serait pu'cril  de  s'echauffer  a  ces  chinoiseries  =  It  were 
puerile  to  get  excited  over  (or  to  take  offence  at) 
those  silly  trickeries. 

Echeance. — A  courte  ccheance  =  At  a  short  date. 
Jusqrfa  Pecheance  =  Until  maturity. 
Cette  lettre  de  change  sera  payee  a  Pecheance  —  This  bill 
of  exchange  shall  be  paid  on  its  coming  due. 

Echeant. — Le  cas  echeant  =  If  such  should  ever  be  the 
case. 

Echec. — //  est  echec  et  mat—  He  is  checkmated. 

Qucl  echec  et  mat  on  lui  preparait !  = 

[MME.  PE  SEVIGNE.] 

What  a  thorough  disappointment  was  in  store  for 
him  ! 

Echelle. — Faites-lui  la  courte  echelle  =  Give  him   a  lift. 

Help  him  on,  do. 
Aprh  lui,  il  faut  tirer  P  echelle  =  There  is  no  beating 

him.     He  leaves  nothing  to  be  done  after  him. 
Les  echelles  du  Z,evanf=T\\e  seaports  of  the  Levant. 


*  In  his  Proverbs  and  their  Lessons,  Dr.  Trench  alludes  to  this  French 
saying  as  follows  : — "  A  burnt  child  fears  the  fire  (the  English  proverb)  is 
good  ;  but  that  of  many  tongues,  A  scalded  dog  fears  cold  water,  is  better 
still.  Ours  does  but  express  that  those  who  have  suffered  once  will 
henceforward  be  timid  in  respect  of  that  same  thing  from  which  they 
have  suffered  ;  but  that  other  the  tendency  to  exaggerate  such  fears,  so 
that  now  they  shall  fear  even  where  no  fear  is.  And  the  fact  that  so  it 
will  be  clothes  itself  in  an  almost  infinite  variety  of  forms.  Thus  one 
Italian  proverb  says  :  A  dog  ivhich  has  been  beaten  with  a  stick  is  afraid 
of  its  shadcno  ;  and  another,  which  could  only  have  had  its  birth  in  the 
sunny  South,  where  the  glancing  but  harmless  lizard  so  often  darts  across 
your  path  :  Whom  a  serpent  has  bitten  a  lizard  alarms.  With  a  little 
variation  from  this,  the  Jewish  Rabbis  had  said  long  before  :  One  bitten  by 
a  serpent  is  afraid  of  a  rope's  end — even  that  which  bears  so  remote  a 
resemblance  to  a  serpent  as  this  does,  shall  now  inspire  him  with  terror." 


156       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Echine. — //  a  I'echine  dorsale  tres  flexible  =  He  is  a  cringing 

creature. 

Iletaitcrottejusqrfa  Pechine  [familiar]  —  He  was  splashed 
up  to  his  neck. 

Eclater. — Elle  eclata  de  rire  =  She  burst  out  laughing. 
J-ttle  eclata  en  injures  =  She  broke  out  into  abuse. 

Eclipse. — Sa  raison  est  sujette  a  de  frequentes  eclipses  =  His 
reason  is  frequently  under  a  cloud. 

Eclore. — Notre  sihle  a  vu  eclore  de  grands  g'enies  =  Our  age 
has  produced  great  geniuses. 

Ecole. — II  a  fait  r  ecole  buissonniere=^(.&  played  truant. 
Cest  de  la  haute  ecole  =  It  is  in  the  very  highest  style. 
Vous  etes  a  bonne  ecole  =  You  are  in  good  hands. 
Quelle  ecole  !  =  What  a  blunder  ! 
Get  ecrivain  a  fait  ecole  =  This  writer  founded  a  school. 

Ecolier. — Nous  avons  pris  le  chemin  des  ecoliers  =  We  have 
come  a  long  way  round. 

tconomie. — Oesl  une  economic  de  bouts  de  chandelle.  [See 
CHANDELLE.] 

//  ny  a  pas  de  petites  economies  =  Take  care  of  the 
pence  :  the  pounds  will  take  care  of  themselves. 

J 'admire  V economic  de  sa  toilette  =  I  admire  the  arrange- 
ment of  her  dress. 

Ceconomie  du  corps  humain  =  T\i&  harmony  of  the 
human  body. 

tconomiser. — Qui  economise  s'enrichit=K  penny  saved  is 

a  penny  gained. 

Le  premier  economise  est  le  premier  gagne  =  Saving  is 
getting. 

tcoper. — La  police  a  generalement  la  main  lourde^  et  les 
etudiants  ont  ecope.  Us  ecopent  toujours  = 

[A.  CLAVEAU,  Le  Soleil.~\ 

The  police  is  generally  heavy-handed,  and  the 
students  got  the  worst  of  it.  They  always  do 
get  the  worst  of  it. 

Avec  sa  bonne  humeur  habituelle,  M.  Francisque  Sarcey 
nous  dit  qu'il  est  toujours  sur  d'ecoper  dans  les 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        157 

"  Revues "   de  fin   d'annee  =  With  his  usual  good- 
humour,  M.  Sarcey  tells  us  that  he  is  always  sure  to 
catch  it  in  the  New  Year's  "  Reviews." 
Ecorcher. — -Jamais  beau  parler  riecorcha  la  langue  =  Fair 

words  cost  nothing. 
Ne  descendez  pas  a  cet  hotel ;  vous  y  seriez  ecorche  = 

Don't  put  up  at  that  hotel ;  you  would  be  fleeced. 
Vous  criez  avant  d'etre  ecorche.     [See  ANGUILLE.] 
Mine,  de  Pompadour  parlait  bien  rallemand,  mais  elle 
ecorchait  le  francais  —  Mme.   de  Pompadour  spoke 
German  well,  but  she  murdered  French. 
11  f ant  tondre  les  brebis,  et  non  pas  les  ecorcher =  Sheep 
should  be  shorn,  not  flayed  alive.     Don't  kill  the 
goose  with  the  golden  eggs — that  is,  Do  not  crush 
the  people  under  taxation. 

j 7  ecorche  F  anguille  par  la  queue.     [See  ANGUILLE.] 
//  n'y  a  rien  de  si  difficile  a  ecorcher  que  la  queue  =  There 
is  nothing  so  difficult  in  an  affair  as  the  conclusion. 
Autant  fait  cehd  qui  tient  que  celui  qui  ecorche  =  The 

receivers  of  stolen  goods  are  as  bad  as  the  thieves. 
Cette   musique   vous   ecorche   les   oreilfes  =  This    music 

grates  on  the  ear. 

Ecorner. — II  fait  un  vent  a  ecorner  un  bceuf=  It  blows  a 

hurricane.    The  wind  is  enough  to  blow  one's  head  off. 

Elle  a  la  mauvaise  habitude  d  ecorner  les  livres  qu'on  lui 

prete  =  She  has  a  bad  habit  of  dog's-earing  the  books 

one  lends  her. 

Us  ont  quelque  peu  ecorn'e   leur  fortune  =  They   have 

made  a  rather  big  hole  in  their  fortune. 
Ecot. — Chacun  patera  son  ecot=  Every  one  shall  pay  his 
share. 

Dis  comment  d'un  bon  mot, 
A  ceux  qui  te  traitaient  tu  payais  ton  ecot= 

[CoLNET,  L' Art  de  Diner  en  Ville.'] 
Tell  us  how  you  repaid  with  a  good  anecdote 

those  who  entertained  you. 

Ecouler. — //  aura  bien  de  la  peine  a  ecouler  ses  marchan- 
dises  =  He  will  have  much  trouble  to  get  rid  of  his 
goods. 


158        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

s'Ecouler. — Comme  le  temps  et  r argent  s'ecoulent  vite  !  = 
How  soon  time  and  money  are  spent ! 

Ecoute. — -La  presse   est  incessamment  aux   ecoutes  =  ^\\G. 
press  is  incessantly  on  the  look-out. 

Ecouter. —  Vous  ecoutez  trop  cet  enfant—  You  humour  that 

child  too  much. 

//  ri  ecoute  que  cCune  oreille  =  He  lends  a  listless  ear. 
Ecouter  aux  portes  =  To  eavesdrop. 
Un  ecoute  s'il  phut*  =  A  mill  worked  by  rain-water. 
Cest  un  ecoute-s1  il-pleiit  —  He  is  an  irresolute  man,  easily 

nonplussed, 
s' Ecouter.— //  f  ecoute   trop  —  He    coddles   himself   too 

much. 

Ecraser. — -Je  suis  ecrase  de  travail^  I  am  worked  to  death. 
Ecrevisse. — Rouge   comme   une  ecrevisse  =  As   red   as   a 

lobster  or  a  turkey-cock. 
Ecriture. — Ecriture  batarde  =  K  tumbled-down,  mongrel 

kind  of  writing. 
Ecu. —  Vieux  amis,  vieux  ecus  —  Old  friends  are  the  best. 

Oest  le  p^re  aux  ecus  =  He  is  made  of  money. 
Ecuelle.— //  a  bien  plu  dans  son  ccuelle=\\e  has  come 

into  good  property. 
Us  ont  mis  tout  par  ecuelles  pour  le  ram?/V=They 

spared  no  expense  to  receive  him  handsomely. 
Cela  lui  a  rogne  Fecuelle  =  That  curtailed  his  income. 
Qui  s' attend  a  Peciielle  d'autrui  dine  souvent  par  cixur 
—  He  that  waits  for  another  man's  trencher  eats 
many  a  late  dinner. 


*  This  quaint  expression  owes  its  origin  to  the  former  condition  of 
mills  which  depended  on  rain-water  for  their  motive-power,  and  were 
therefore  subject  to  continual  stoppage.  Former  English  visitors  to 
the  handsome  town  of  Boulogne-sur-Mer,  where  one  could  formerly 
read  several  such  quaint  names  as  "  Rue  Tant-perd-tant-paye,"  "  Rue 
Thomas-haut-le-pied,"  &c.,  will  recollect  the  "Rue  Ecoute-s'il-pleut," 
a  small  side-street  off  the  "  Rue  de  1'Ecu,"  now  "  Rue  Victor  Hugo." 
The  old  historical  term,  which  was  due  to  the  presence  of  a  very  old 
mill  of  the  above  description,  has  now  disappeared,  alas  !  like  too  many 
curious  vestiges  of  the  past. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        159 

Ecurie. — Oest  un  cheval  a  fecurie  =  It  is  a  source  of  use- 
less expense. 

C'est  fermer  fecurie  quand  les  chevaux  sont  dehors  = 
That  is  taking  precautions  too  late,  when  the  mis- 
chief is  done. 

Effet. — Cela  ne  fait  pas  bon  e/et=Tha.t  does  not  look  well. 
Us  me  font  Peffet  de  braves  gens  —  They  look  to  me 

worthy  people. 
Effort. —  Voyons,  faites  ztn  effort  sur  vous-meme  =  Come,  do 

yourself  violence. 
Effronte\ — //  est  effronte  comme  un  page  de  cour  =  He  is  as 

impudent  as  a  court-page. 
Egal. — Cest  egal,  c'estbien  contrariant=~$Gi  all  that,  it  is 

very  annoying. 

Cela  m'est  egal=rf\irt.  is  all  one  to  me.     I  don't  care. 
Tout  lui  est  egal=  He  cares  for  nothing.     Everything  is 

the  same  to  him. 

Trailer  d'egal  a  cgal=  To  treat  on  equal  terms. 
Une  humeur  egale  =  An  even  temper. 
Rile  aime  cet  enfant  a  legal  des  siens  —  She  loves  that 

child  as  much  as  if  it  were  her  own. 
Eglise. — II  est  gueux  comme  un  rat  d'eglise  =  He  is  as  poor 

as  a  church-mouse. 
Pres  de  /'eg/tse,  loin  de  Dieu  —  The  nearer  the  church 

the  farther  from  God. 
Ce  que  nous  avons  le  plus^  c'est  Pessor  et  Velan  = 

[SAINTE-BEUVE.] 

Our  uppermost  quality  is  an  impulsive  imagination. 
Elephant. —  Vous  faites  d'une  mouche  un  elephant  =  You 

make  a  mountain  of  a  mole-hill. 
Eleve. — Jefais  des  eleves  dans  mon  jardin  =  \  raise  plants 

and  flowers  in  my  garden. 
Elzevir.* — Void  un  bel  elzevir  =  Here  is  a  fine  specimen 

of  the  Elzevir  edition. 
Emballe. — Un  cheval  emballe  =  h.  runaway  horse. 


*   Un  elzevir  is  a  volume  of  the  famous  Elzevir  collection,  thus  called 
from  the  great  Dutch  printers  of  that  name,  who  have  immortalised 


l6o       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

s'Emballer. — Cette  brave  femme  s'emballe  a  tout  propos  = 

This  good  woman  is  very  apt  to  get  over-excited. 
s'Embarquer. — S'embarquer  sans  biscuit  —  To  set  out  on 
an  enterprise  or  expedition  without  sufficient  pre- 
paration. 

Tu  sais  que  souvent  il  en  cuit 
Pour  s'etre,  comme  on  dit,  embarque  sans  bis  cut  t= 

[DESTOUCHES.] 

You  are  aware  that  one  often   suffers   for  having 

embarked,  as  it  is  said,  without  biscuits. 
Embarras. — -Je  crains  de  leur  causer  de  P  embarras  =-\  am 

afraid  of  being  in  their  way. 

II  fait  beaucoup  d'embarras  =  He  is  very  pretentious. 
Embarras   de   richesses  =  Perplexity   arising   from    an 
excessive  variety  of  choice. 


themselves  by  its  production  (Amsterdam  and  Leyden,  i6th  and  lyth 
centuries). 

To  the  same  class  belong  many  other  words,  which  may  be  called 
historical,  including  the  following  : — 

Daguerreotype,  from  the  French  painter  Daguerre,  who  produced  his 
photographic  plates  in  1839,  when  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  granted 
him  a  pension. 

Dahlia,  from  the  Swedish  botanist  Dahl,  who  first  cultivated  in 
Europe  that  beautiful  flower  imported  from  its  native  China — called 
Georgina  in  Germany,  where  it  was  subsequently  introduced  by  the 
botanist  Georgi,  who  robbed  Professor  Dahl  of  its  name. 

Dedale,  a  labyrinth,  from  the  Athenian  architect,  sculptor,  and  arti- 
ficer Daedalus,  who  made  the  great  Cretan  labyrinth,  where  he  was 
eventually  confined  by  King  Minos,  and  from  whence  he  escaped  by 
means  of  wings  which  he  had  constructed. 

Guillemet,  inverted  commas,  from  the  French  printer  of  that  name, 
who  first  introduced  this  typographical  sign. 

Guillocher,  to  engine -turn,  thus  called  after  a  French  workman 
named  Guillot,  who  is  credited  with  the  original  idea  of  this  orna- 
mentation. 

Guillotine,  the  too  well-known  lugubrious  machine  invented  by  Dr. 
Guillotin  (1738-1814),  or  rather,  to  speak  more  accurately,  introduced 
from  Italy  into  France  at  the  suggestion  of  this  worthy  philanthropist, 
who  was  anxious  to  do  away  with  the  tortures  hitherto  employed. 

Macadam,  road  metal,  thus  called  in  remembrance  of  John  M'Adam 
who  first  used  it,  and  received  a  grant  from  the  British  Parliament  as  a 
reward  in  1825. 

See  also  Silhouette  in  vol.  ii. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        l6l 

Embarrasser. — En  societe,  il  est  embarrasse  de  sa  personne 

=  When  in  society,  he  does  not  know  what  to  do 

with  himself. 
Embellir.  —  Cela  ne  fait  que  croitre  et  embellir=\\.  grows 

better  and  better  [generally  used  ironically.]     [See 

CROITRE.] 
Emblee. — II a  gagn'e  d'emblee  —  ^o.  came  out  first  without 

difficulty. 
Ce  tableau  I 'a  place  d'emblee  parmi  les  premiers  peintres 

dujour  =  This  picture  placed  him  straight  off  amongst 

the  first  painters  of  the  day. 
Emboiter. — Les  indifferents  emboitent  le  pas  derriere  les 

gros  bataillons  =  The  indifferent  follow  suit  behind 

the  big  battalions. 
Embouche'. —  Une  personne  mal  embouchce  —  A  person  who 

uses  a  coarse  language. 
Embrasser. — Qui  trop  embrasse  mal  etreint  =  Grasp  all, 

lose  all. 
Emmitoufle'.— -Jamais  chat  emmitoufle  neprit  souris=[See 

CHAT.] 
s'Emousser. — Les  douleurs  les  plus  profondes  s'emoussent 

avec  le  temps  —  Time  assuages  [literally,  takes  the 

edge  off]  the  deepest  grief. 
Emp£cher. — //  faut  souffrir  ce  qu'on  ne  peut  empecher  = 

What  cannot  be  cured  must  be  endured. 
N'empeche  que  [elliptical  for  Cela  riempeche  que]  =  For 

all  that ;  All  the  same. 
Empire. — //  ne  cederait  pas  pour  un   empire  =  Nothing 

,     -  would  make  him  yield. 
Employer. — //  a  employe  le  vertetle  sec=  He  left  no  stone 

unturned. 
s'Employer. — //  s'est  employe  pour  moi  de  la  maniere  la 

plus  bienveillante  =  He  exerted  himself  on  my  behalf 

in  the  kindest  manner. 
Empoigner. — C'est  une  scene  qui  empoigne  le  public  =  It  is 

a  scene  that  takes  a  thorough  hold  of  the  public. 
Emporte-piece.— C'est  ecrit  a  V emporte-pihe  =  It  is  written 

in  a  sharp,  incisive  style. 

VOL.    I.  L 


1 62        FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Emporter. — -Ses  satires  emp  orient  la  piete='Rx&  satires  are 

most  biting. 
Autant  en  emporte  le  vent  =  It  is  all  idle  talk.     Many 

words  will  not  fill  a  bushel. 
Vous  ne  femporterez  pas  au  paradis  =  My  turn  will 

come  sooner  or  later. 
Cet  avis  remporta  \la  balance,  or  le  vote,  understood]  = 

That  opinion  prevailed. 
//  r emportera  facilement  sur  ses  concurrents  \la  palme 

understood]  =  He  will  easily  beat  his  rivals. 
De  peur  que  sur  r  esprit  I'argile  ne  r  emporte  — 

[LAMARTINE.] 

Lest  the  clay  should  get  the  mastery  of  the  spirit. 
Le  diable  les  emporte  !  =  Hang  'em  !       [SHAKESPEARE.] 
s'Emporter. — //  s 'emporte  pour  un  rien  =  He  flies  into  a 

passion  for  a  mere  nothing. 

Empress^. — II fait  fempresse  auprh  d'elle  =  He  shows  her 
particular  attentions. 

Elle  va,  vient,  fait  I'empressee  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

It  goes,  and  comes,  and  busies  about. 
Emprtmtd. —  Une  beaute  empruntee  —  An  artificial  beauty. 
Elle   a   /'air  un  peu   emprunte  =  She   looks   a   little 

awkward. 

Emprunter. — Ne  choisit pas  qui  emprunte  =  [See  CHOISIR.] 
Qui  emprunte  perd  ses  habitudes  d1  economic  =  Borrowing 
dulls  the  edge  of  husbandry. 

[SHAKESPEARE,  Hamlet.] 

En*  [Pron.].— -J'en  ai  vu  quelques-uns  =  I  have  seen  some. 
J  'en  prendrai  deux  =  I  shall  take  two. 


*  That  personal  pronoun  en  ("of  it,"  "of  them") — quite  distinct 
from  the  preposition  en,  of  which  I  have  thought  right  to  give  above 
several  idiomatic  constructions  —  always  accompanies  the  indefinite 
pronouns  quelqiies  -  tens,  aucun,  attire,  as  also  nouns  expressing  a 
quantity  (une  donzaine,  la  moifie,  &c. ),  and  the  numeral  adjectives  or 
adverbs  of  quantity,  when  they  are  the  "object"  of  the  verb,  and  the 
noun  to  which  they  refer  is  not  expressed  at  the  same  time.  Thus  we 
say :  "  Prenez-^w  quelques-uns  ;  J'en  acheterai  une  douzaine  ;  En  voulez- 
vous  encore  ?"&c.  [MARIETTE'S  Half-hours  of  French  Translations, 
P-  I*-] 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS       163 

Prenez-en  un  autre  =  Take  another. 
En  voulez-vous  ?  =  Will  you  have  any  ? 

En  est-il  un  plus  pauvre  en  la  machine  ronde  ?  — 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Is  there  a  more  miserable  man  to  be  met  with  in 

the  wide  world  ? 
C'en  est  fait=  It  is  all  over. 

En  arriver  a  souhaiter  la  tempete,  riest-ce  pas  le  monde 
renverse  ?  =  [Le  Petit  Journal.'} 

To  come  to  wish  for  a  cataclysm,  is  it  not  the 
world  thrown  upside  down  ? 

Si  Men  qu'au  bout  de  Van 
II en  rapporta  davantage  =         [LA  FONTAINE.] 

The  result  being  that  by  the  end  of  the  year  it  pro- 
duced all  the  more. 
En  [Prep.]. — //  s'est  toujours  conduit  en  galant  homme  =  'Ke 

always  behaved  like  a  gentleman. 
//  en  park  en  connaisseur  =  He  speaks  of  it  as  a  con- 
noisseur. 
En  bonjeune  homme  que  vous  ^to  =  Like  a  good  young 

man  that  you  are. 

De  mal  en  pis  =  From  bad  to  worse  ;  Worse  and  worse. 
De  mieux  en  mieux  ;  de  pis  en  pis  —  Better  and  better ; 

Worse  and  worse. 

//  marchait  en  tete  =  He  was  marching  at  the  head. 
Je  suis  en  eau  =  I  am  dripping  wet. 
Du  ble  en  herbe  =  Corn  in  the  blade. 
En  belle  humeur=  In  a  merry  mood. 
En  haine  de  —  Out  of  hatred  to. 
Taille  en  pointe=  Ending  in  a  point. 
Des  arbres  tallies  en  buisson  =  Trees  cut  in  the  form  of 

a  bush. 
Hamlet  ne  voulait  pas  tuer  le  roi  pendant  qu'il  etait  en 

prieres  =  Hamlet  would  not  kill  the  king  while  he 

was  at  prayers. 
Je  ne  veux  pas  etre  en  reste  avec  eux  —  I  don't  want  to 

be  behindhand  with  them. 
Docteur  en  medecine  =  Doctor  of  medicine. 
En  tant  que  je  piiis  =  As  far  as  I  can. 


164       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

s'Encanailler. — Le  siecle,  disait  deja  Moliere  il  y  a  250 

ans,  s^ encanaille  furieusement  =\JQJ^I  characters,  said 

Moliere  250  years  ago,  are  introduced  everywhere 

nowadays. 

Encensoir. — Donner  de  Vencensoir  par  le  nez ;  Casser  le 

nez  a  coups  d'encensoir  =  To  be  a  fulsome  flatterer. 
Enchere. — La  propriete  est  mise  aux  enc^eres  =  rThe  pro- 
perty is  being  brought  to  the  hammer. 
C'esf  iinefolle  enchere  =  \\.  is  a  re-sale  at  any  price  [the 
first  buyer  having  been  unable  to  execute  the  con- 
ditions of  the  sale.] 
II  en  patera  la  folk  enchere  =  He  will  pay  the  penalty  of 

his  rashness. 
Une  enchere  au  rabais  =  A  Dutch  auction. 

Enclume. — C'estun  ouvrage  a  remettre  sur  f enchtine  =\\. 

is  a  work  that  wants  recasting. 
//  est  entre  le  marteau  et  I'enclume  =  He  is  in  a  serious 

dilemma ;  between  the  hammer  and  the  anvil. 
//  faut  etre  enclume  ou  marteau  =  One  must  either  do 

or  suffer  evil. 

A  1'Encontre. — Dans  son  application  courante,  cette  loi  va 
a  Pencontre  des  intentions  du  legislateur,  comme  des 
vceux  du  moraliste  —  [Le  Temps.] 

In  its  ordinary  application,  this  law  runs  counter 
to  the  intentions  of  the  legislator,  as  well  as  to 
the  wishes  of  the  moralist. 

Encore.* — Encore  si  vous  m'aviezprevenu  —  If  only  you  had 

warned  me. 

Encore  si  nos  innombrables  fonctionnaires  rendaient  des 
services  proportionnes  a  ce  qrfils  content !  =  If  only 
those  numberless  officials  of  ours  rendered  services 
proportionate  with  their  cost. 


*  Encore,  encor,  from  the  Latin  (ad)  hanc  orain,  until  this  hour. 
Encore  is  used  with  the  meaning  of  "yet,"  strictly  in  accordance  with 
its  etymological  sense,  especially  in  negative  sentences  :  //  if  est  pas 
encore  temps,  i.e.,  il  n 'est  pas  temps  d.  cette  heure. 

Encore  has  also  the  meanings  of  "again":  Quoi !  encore?  What, 
again? — of  "also":  Outre  cela,  il  y  a  missi  .  .  ,  Besides  this,  there 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND   PROVERBS       165 

Encre. — C'est  la  bouteille  a  /' encre  =  [See  BOUTEILLE.] 

//  lui  a  ecrit  de  la  bonne  encre  =  He  wrote  to  him  in 

strong  terms. 

Encroutd. — //  est  encroute  de  prejuges  =  He  is  full  of  pre- 
judices. 
s'Endormir. —  Vous  voyez  que  je  ne  me  suis  pas  endormi= 

You  see  I  have  not  been  idle. 
Enfant. — //  commandait  les  enfants  perdus  —  He  led  the 

forlorn  hope  (of  former  times). 
Un  enfant  de  troupe  —  A  soldier's  son  brought  up  in 

barracks. 
La  Charite  est  la  nitre  adoptive  des  enfants  trouves  = 

Charity  is  the  adoptive  mother  of  foundlings. 
Allans,  nefaites  done  pas  r enfant-  Come,  don't  behave 

like  a  child. 
//  est  aussi  innocent  que  V enfant  qui  vient  de  naitre  = 

He  is  as  innocent  as  the  babe  unborn. 
Enfant  gate  devient  souvent  enfant  ingrat  =  A  spoilt 

child  often  turns  out  an  ungrateful  child.     . 
L? enfant  est  un  petit  homme — L'homme  est  un  grand 
enfant  =  [LAMARTINE.] 

The  child  is  a  small  man — The  man  is  a  big 

child. 
//  a  deux  enfants  du  second  lit  —  He  has  two  children 

by  his  second  wife. 

M.  Punch  s'esf  immortalise  avec  ses  enfants  terribles  = 
Mr.  Punch  has  immortalised  himself  with  his  dread- 
ful plaguy  children. 


is  also  .  .  . — of  "still":  Son  dernier  ouvrage  est  encore  plus  interessant ; 
His  last  work  is  still  more  interesting. 

Let  us  note  also  Encore  si,  with  the  meaning  of  "if  only,"  as  in  our 
text : 

Encor  si  ce  banni  n'eut  rien  aime  snr  tcrre  !— 

— VICTOR  HUGO. 

If  only  this  outcast  had  loved  nothing  upon  earth  ! 
There  is,  besides,  encore  que,  "even  though"  : 

L'envie  honore  le  nitrite,  encore  qtielle  s'ejfone  de  favilir= 

— MARMONTEL. 
Envy  honours  merit,  even  though  it  would  fain  vilify  it. 


1 66       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH   IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

C'est  bien  ^enfant  de  sa  mere  =  He  takes  after  his 
mother. 

//  est  bon  enfant =  He  is  a  good  fellow. 

Tout  cela  forme  un  tableau  anime  d'une  gaiete  bon 
enfant=A\\  that  forms  a  bright  picture  of  a  good- 
natured  liveliness. 

Enfanter.  —  La    montagne    a   enfante   une    souris  =  The 
mountain  has  brought  forth  a  mouse. 

Enfer. — Cette  cuisiniere  fait  toujours  un  feu  t'enfer=This 

cook  always  keeps  a  tremendous  fire. 
Enfermer. — //  ne  s'agit  pas  d'enfermer  le  loup  dans  la 

bergerie  —  We  must  not  shut  up  the  wolf  among  the 

sheep. 
Enfiler. — -Je  ne  suis  pas  venu  id  pour  enfiler  des  perles  — 

I  did  not  come  here  to  pick  straws. 
s'Enfiler. — Cela  ne  s'enfile  pas  comme  des  perles  =  It  is  more 

difficult  to  do  than  it  looks. 
Enfin. — Enfin,  ou  voulez-vous  en  venir  ?  =  In  short,  what 

are  you  driving  at  ? 

Enfonce\ — //  est  enfonce  [familiar]  =  He  is  done  for. 
Enfonceur. — -C'esf  un  enfonceur  de  portes  ouvertes=  He  is 

a  boaster. 
Enfourner. — A  mal  enfourner,  on  fait  les  pains  cornus  = 

A  good  start  is  of  paramount  importance  [literally, 

By  setting  in  badly,  one  makes  angular  loaves.] 
Engager. —  Cela  ne  vous  engage  a  rien  =  T\\ai  does  not 

pledge  you  to  anything. 
s'Engager.- — Ilvient  de  ?  engager  en  Algerie  =  He  has  just 

enlisted  in  Algeria. 
Comment  vous  £tes-vous  engage  dans  une  si  mauvaise 

affaire  ?  =  How  came  you  to  get  involved  into  such 

a  miserable  affair  ? 
Engendrer. — C'est  un  joyeux  camarade  qui  n1  engendre  pas 

la  melancolie  =  He  is  a  merry  companion  who  does 

not  breed  melancholy. 
Engin. — Mteux  vaut  engin  que  force-  Policy  goes  beyond 

strength. 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS       167 

s'EngOlier.— -Je  me  demande  comment  il  a  pu  s'engoiier  de 
cette  personne  =  I  wonder  how  he  can  have  got  in- 
fatuated with  that  person. 

Engraisser. — //  engraisse  de  maledictions  —  He  thrives  on 
curses. 

Enigme. —  Voila  le  mot  de  l'em'gme  =  The  mystery  is  ex- 
plained    That  is  the  answer  to  the  riddle. 
Cette  enigme  est  un  vrai  casse-tcte  cfrinois  =  This  riddle 
is  a  real  Chinese  puzzle. 

Enlever. — Le  morceau  a  ete  superbement  enleve  =  The  piece 
was  played  with  splendid  spirit. 

Ennemi. — Le  mieux  est  F  ennemi  du  bien  =  Leave  well  alone. 
C'est  aiitant  de  pris  sur  V  ennemi  =  It  is  so  much  saved, 
so  much  to  the  good. 

Notre,  ennemi)  C'est  noire  maUre, 
Je  vous  le  dis  en  ban  Fran$ais  *  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Our  real  enemy  is  our  master  :  I  tell  you  so  as  a  true 
Gaul  that  I  am. 

Ami  au  prefer,  ennemi  au  rendre  —  A  friend  to  borrow- 
ing, but  not  to  paying. 

Un  ennemi  declare  =  An  open  enemy. 

//  riy  a  point  de  petit  ennemi '=  The  smallest  people 
may  prove  dangerous  enemies. 


*  Notre  ennemi,  Jest  notre  maitre.  This  saying,  unpleasantly  sug- 
gestive as  it  is,  is  considered  by  some  competent  critics  as  an  embodi- 
ment of  the  truly  French  spirit  of  independence.  As  to  La  Fontaine's 
statement,  Je  vous  le  dis  en  ban  franfais,  I  may,  I  think,  safely  assert 
that  it  is  not  to  be  taken  in  the  rather  idle  sense:  "I  tell  you  so 
plainly,  in  good  French."  In  fact,  the  expression  in  this  sense  was 
unknown  in  the  1 7th  century,  and  I  am  satisfied  that  La  Fontaine, 
with  his  caustic  temperament,  intended  his  statement  to  refer  to  the 
national  spirit  of  his  countrymen,  whose  fierce  assumption  of  independ- 
ence was  later  on  to  proclaim  urbi  et  orbi,  among  the  "immortal 
principles  of  1789,"  that  of  Equality  (?),  which  logically  implies  the 
abolition  of  all  mastership  ! 

I  have,  therefore,  adopted  the  rendering :  "I  tell  you  so,  like  a  true 
Gaul  that  I  am,"  and  have  accordingly  given  the  word  Fran£ais  a 
capital  initial,  although  this  does  not  occur  in  the  printed  work. 


1 68       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND   PROVERBS 

s'Enoncer. — Ce  que  Pan  co/ifoit  bien  s'enonce  dairement  = 

[BoiLEAU,  L'Art  Foeliqitc.~\ 

What  is  clearly  conceived  is  clearly  expressed. 

Enrager. — Prendre patience  en  enrageant=r^Q  swallow  an 

affront,  or  put  up  with  an  annoyance,  with  constrained 

resignation. 
//  se  debattait  comme  un  enrage  =  He  was  struggling  like 

a  madman. 
Us  ont  mange  de  la  vache  enragee  —  They  suffered  great 

hardships  and  privations. 
Qui  veut   tuer  son   chien,    dit  qrfil  est  enrage  =  [See 

CHIEN.] 

s'Enrichir. — Qui  paye  ses  dettes  s1  enrichit  •=*&&  that  pays 
his  debts  grows  rich. 

Enseigne. — -Je  suis  loge  a  la  meme  enseigne  que  vous  -  I 

am  no  better  off  than  you— your  case  is  exactly 

mine. 
Le  pauvre  diable  couchait  a  F enseigne  de  la  lune  —  The 

unfortunate  fellow  slept  in  the  open  air. 
Oest  une  enseigne  a  biere  =  It  is  a  wretched  picture,  i.e., 

only  fit  for  a  sign-post. 
Us  ne  Fauront  qu'a  bonnes  enseignes  =  T\\ey  shall  not 

have  it  except  on  proper  terms,  on  good  security. 
A  telles  enseignes  que  .  .  .  =  The  proof  of  it  is  that  .  .  . 

So  much  so  that  .  .  . 
A  bon  vin  point  d' enseigne  =  Good  wine  needs  no  bush. 

[See  note  on  BOUCHON.] 

Entendeur. — A   bon  entendeur,   salut  =  A   word   to    the 
wise. 

Entendre. — -Je  rfentends  pas  de  celte  orielle-la  =  \  am  deaf 

on  that  side. 

A  les  entendre  =  If  we  are  to  believe  them. 
Je  ne  Fentends  pas  «/>«/=  That  is  not  the  view  I  take  of 

the  matter ;  That  does  not  suit  me. 
Cela  ne  sfra  pas,  entend(Z-voust=\\.  shall  not  be  so,  I 

tell  you. 
Comment  Fentendez-vous  ?  -  What  do  you  mean  by  it  ? 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS       169 

Elle  ne  veut  pas  en  entendre  parler  =  She  will  not  hear 

of  it. 
Le  sage  entend  a  deini-mot=  Wise  men  know  how  to 

take  a  hint. 
On  ne  salt  plus  a  qui  entendre  =  There  is  no  knowing 

now  whom  to  listen  to. 
II 'entend  ne  rien  promettre  de  ce  qrfil  croira  ne  pouvoir 

tenir  -  He  does  not  intend  to  make  any  promise  that 

he  thinks  he  could  not  keep. 
En  louant  ainsi  son  livre,  j*  en  tends  parler  du  fond,  non 

de  la  forme  =  In  thus  praising  his  book,  I  allude  to 

the  matter,  not  to  the  style. 
//  n!  entend  rien  aux  affaires  =  He  knows  nothing  about 

business. 
//  n'y  entend  pas  malice  =  He  does  not  mean  anything 

unkind. 
Je  tfentends  pas  raillerie  la-dessus  =  I  will  not  stand  a 

joke  on  this  subject. 
Pen  de  personnes  entendent  la  fine  plaisanterie  =  Few 

people  can  jest  delicately. 
//  m'a  laisse  entendre ;  il  m'a  fait  entendre  que  .  .  . 

=  He  gave  me  to  understand  that  .  .  . 
//  ne  voudra  jamais  entendre  raison  *  =  He  will  never 

listen  to  reason. 
Faites  comme  vous  Fentendrez  =  Just  do  as  you  please. 


*  I  would  call  the  reader's  attention  here  to  the  idiomatic  difference 
of  meaning  between  Entendre  la  raison  and  Entendre  raison,  a  differ- 
ence to  which  I  have  frequently  alluded  in  my  Examination  papers 
without  eliciting  a  satisfactory  answer.  Entendre  la  raison  simply 
means,  "To  listen  to  the  particular  motive  why,"  whilst  Entendre 
raison  means,  "To  be  reasonable,  to  listen  to  reason,"  quite  another 
thing.  Thus,  when  the  historic  miller  of  Sans-Souci  declines  to  sell 
his  mill  to  his  royal  neighbour  of  Potsdam,  he  timidly  observes  : 

Entendez  la  raison, 

Sire ;  je  ne  pcux  fas  vous  vendte  ma  maison : 
Alon  vieux  peie  y  mounit ;  monjils  y  vient  de  nattre. 
C'est  man  Potsdam  a  moi=  — ANDRIEUX. 

He  would  never  have  presumed  to  tell  his  Majesty  Frederic  II.  of 
Prussia :  Eniendez  done  raison,  Sire.  For  the  result  would  soon  have 
followed  a  la  pmssienne,  and  Sans-Souci  would  undoubtedly  have 
shared  the  fate  of  Silesia,  and  certain  other  provinces. 


170       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Je  vous  entends  :  Neron  m'apprend  par  votre  voix, 
Qu'e/i  vain  Britannicus  s1  assure  sur  mon  choix  = 

[RACINE.] 

I  understand  you  :  Nero  informs  me  through  you 

that  Britannicus  relies  in  vain  upon  my  choice. 

Qui  n'entend  qifune  cloche,  rientend  qifun   son  —  [See 

CLOCHE]. 
//  n'est  pire  sourd  que  celui  qui  ne  vent  pas  entendre  — 

There  is  none  so  deaf  as  he  who  will  not  hear. 
s'Entendre. —  Cela  s'entend^That  is  a  matter  of  course. 
//  s'entend  au  jardinage  =  He  understands  gardening. 
Us  s'entendent  tons  deux  conune  larrons  en  foire  = 

[MOLIERE.] 

They  are  as  thick  as  thieves  together. 
Je  n? entends  bien  =  I  know  perfectly  what  I  mean. 
//  s'agit  de  nous  entendre  sur  le  prix  —  The  point  is  to 

agree  about  the  price. 
Entendu. — C'esf  entendu  =  That's  agreed. 
Bien  entendu  =  Of  course ;  Yes,  of  course. 
//  estfort  entendu  —  He  is  very  shrewd,  very  skilful. 
D'un  air  entendu  =  With  a  knowing  look. 
Entente. —  Un  mot,  une  phrase  a  double  e ntente  =  A  word, 
a  phrase  with  a  double  meaning.  —  [See  note  on 

Cot>TER.] 

L  entente  est  au  diseur  =  Everybody  has  a  right  to  put 

his  own  meaning  on  what  he  says. 
s'Enticher. — //  s'est  entiche  de  ces  etranges  iJees=~H.e  got 

infatuated  with  those  strange  notions. 
Entorse. — -Je  me  suis  donne  une  entorse  au  pied=  I  sprained 

my  ankle. 
Ce  serai 't  donner  une  entorse  a  la  verite  —  It  would  be 

tantamount  to  twisting  truth. 
Entrainer. — Cela  entramerait  de  facheuses  consequences •  = 

That  would  entail  bad  consequences. 
Ce  cheval  est  bien  entraine  —  This  horse  is  well  trained. 
Entre'e. — Les  entrees  defaveur  sont  suspendues  =  The  orders, 

the  free  admissions,  are  suspended. 
Cette  marchandise  ne  paie  pas  d^ entree  =  These  goods 
pay  no  duty. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS       1 71 

Elle  va  faire  son  entree  dans  le  monde  =  She  is  about 
to  come  out.  She  is  going  to  make  her  first  appear- 
ance in  society. 

Son  talent  lui  donne  entree  par  tout  =  His  talent  secures 
his  admission  everywhere. 

Entrefaites. — Sur  ces  entrefaites  —  Meanwhile. 

Entreprendre. — Quelle  raison  pouvait-il  avoir  de  Ventre- 
prendre  ainsi  ?  =  What  could  his  motive  be  for  setting 
upon  him  as  he  did  ? 

Entrer.— -Je  rientre  pas  la-dedans  =  I  will  not  meddle  with 

that ;  I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  that. 
//  est  entre  de  plein  pied  en  matiere  =  He  came  straight 

to  the  point ;  In  medias  res. 
Cela  n1  entre  pas  dans  mes  vues  =  That  does  not  tally 

with  my  purpose,  with  my  ideas. 
Des  que  ces  considerations  entrent  en  ligne,  il  devient 

impossible  de  s1  entendre  =  The  moment  considerations 

of  this  kind  are  brought  to  bear  upon  the  subject, 

there  is  no  understanding  possible. 
Cela  doit  entrer  en  ligne  de  compte  ;  faites-le  entrer  en 

ligne  de  compte  —  That  should  come  into  account ; 

Take  it  into  account. 
//  entre  au  mains  dix  metres  d^etoffe  dans  cette  robe  — 

That  dress  takes  at  least  ten  metres  of  stuff. 

Entrevoir. — Je  n 'at  fait  que  les  entrevoir  =  I  only  caught  a 

glimpse  of  them. 

J'entrevois  de  serieux  obstacles  =  I  anticipate  serious 
obstacles. 

Envergure. — C'cst  une  entreprise  de grande  envergure  =\\. 
is  a  very  serious  undertaking— on  a  large  scale. 

Envers. — A  /' envers  =  Inside  out. 

Une  tete  a  V  envers  =  A  mad-cap. 

Gens  a  deux  envers  =  Deceitful  people. 

Ses  affaires  sont  a  renvers=IJL\s  affairs  are  in  a  hope- 
less condition. 

Je  le  defendrai  envers  et  contre  tous  =  I  will  take  his  part 
against  all  comers. 


172        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND   PROVERBS 

Envi. — A  renvi  -  With  emulation  [in  Low  Latin,  ad  in 

vidiam\ 

Les  chevaliers  avaient  depens'e  a  renvi  run  de  Vautre  — 

[DE  BARANTE.] 
The  knights  had  vied  with  each  other  in  expense. 

Envie.* — //  vaut  mieux  faire  envie  que  pitie  =  Better  be 

envied  than  pitied. 

Ce  n1  est  pas  r envie  qui  lui  en  manque  =  It  isn't  for  want 
of  inclination. 

Envoyer. — Envoyez-le  promener='$>er\&  him  to  his  busi- 
ness [familiarly,  to  Jericho  or  to  Coventry]. 

Epargner. — Qui  epargne  gagne=  Saving  is  getting. 

Un  sou  epargne  est  un  sou  gagne  =  A  penny  saved  is  a 
penny  got. 

Epater. — C'esf  epatant  [familiar]  =  It  is  wonderful. 

Us  en  etaient  epates  =  They  were  amazed  at  it. 
Epaule. — Celafait  hausser  les  epaules  =  \\.  is  pitiful. 

Que  sa  presence  me  phe  sur  les  epaules  I  = 
How  dreadfully  tired  I  am  of  seeing  him  ! 


*  Envie,  properly  envy,  Latin  invidia — "  L 'envie  est  plus  irrecon- 
ciliable  que  la  haine." — LA  ROCHEFOUCAULD.  It  also  expresses  (i)  a 
mere  wish — "  Les  voyages  .  .  .  accroissent  ordinairement  1'envie  de 
voyager." — REGNARD  ;  (2)  a  want,  a  longing  for — Avoir  envie  de  boire 
de  dormir,  &c. 

Note  the  expressions :  Faire  envie,  to  excite  envy,  jealousy  ;  Porter 
envie,  to  feel  envious ;  Etre  digne  d 'envie,  to  have  a  fate  worthy  of 
being  envied  : 

"Qu'on  est  digne  d'envie 
Lorsqu'en  perdant  la  force,  on  perd  aussi  la  vie." 

— CORNEILLE. 

Passer  son  envie,  to  gratify  one's  wish,  one's  longing  ;  Faire  fax  ser  a 
anelqu'nu  r  envie  de  .  .  .  ,  to  cure  some  one  of  a  given  practice  or 
propensity. 

Again,  note  the  expression  A  I'envi,  with  emulation,  that  is,  "a  qui 
mieux  mieux  "  [in  Low  Latin,  ad  inviciiam.'] 

"  Les  peuples  a  1'envi  marchent  a  ta  lumiere." 

— RACINE. 

Envie  also  expresses  technically  a  birth-mark  on  the  body,  and  a 
hang-nail,  which  is  similarly  called  in  German  Neid-nagel. — MARIETTE'S 
Edition  of  COPPEE'S  Liithier  de  Cremone,  p.  62. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND   PROVERBS        173 

Je  lui  ai  donne  un  bon  coup  d>epaule  =  [See  COUP.] 

//  a  ete  mis  a  la  porte  par  les  oreilks  et  les  deux  epaules 

=  He  was  ignominiously  turned  out  by  the  head  and 

shoulders. 
II  le  fera  par-dessus  /'<?/to//<?  =  He  will  do  it  "over  the 

left." 


.  —  Q^ti  se  serf  de  r  epee  perira  par  T  epee  =  Harm  watch, 
harm  catch. 

Un  coup  d^epee  dans  Peait  =  [See  EAU.] 
Toute  la  garnison  fut  passes  au  fil  de  Pepee  =  The  whole 

garrison  was  put  to  the  sword. 
N  'avoir  que  la  cape  et  Vepee=  [See  CAPE.] 
Us  Pont  poursuivi  Vepee  dans  les  reins  =  They  pressed 

him  very  hard. 
//  jura  qu'il  me  passer  ait  son  epee  au  travers  du  corps  — 

[Gil  Bias.} 

He  swore  that  he  would  run  me  through  the  body. 
Rien  d^  as  sure  :  point  de  franche  lippee  ; 
Tout  a  la  point  e  de  I'  epee  —          [LA  FONTAINE.] 

Nothing  to  depend  upon  :  no  free  meals  ;  everything 

to  be  fought  for. 

C'est  son  epee  de  chevet*  =  He  is  his  constant  com- 
panion —  He  always  has  that  word,  or  phrase,  on 
his  lips. 

Ah  !  Us  n'onf  que  ce  mot  a  la  bouche,  de  Sargent  I 
Toujours  parler  d1  argent.  Voila  leur  epee  de  chevet, 
de  P  argent  !  =  [MOLIERE,  L'Avare.] 

Ah  !  they  are  perpetually  having  this  word  on 
their  lips,  money  !  They  are  ever  talking  of 
money.  That's  what  they  keep  harping  on, 
money  ! 

Eperon.  —  //  n'a  ni  bouche  ni  eperon  =  He  has  neither  wit 
nor  courage. 


*  L'epee  de  chevet  is  the  sword  that  never  leaves  us,  even  at  night 
[when  it  is  deposited  under  the  pillow].  Figuratively,  it  stands  for  the 
word  or  phrase  one  always  has  on  one's  lips  by  way  of  argument  or 
defence. 


174       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Epiloguer. —  Vous  epiloguez  sur  tout=\OM  find  fault  with 
everything. 

Epine. — -Je  lui  ai  tire  une  epine  du  pied  —  I  pulled  him 
through  a  difficulty  [literally,  I  got  a  thorn  out  of 
his  foot ;  anglice,  out  of  his  side.] 
On  trouve  mainte  epine  oil-  Pon  cherche  des  roses  = 

[REGNARD.] 

One  finds  many  thorns  where  one  seeks  roses. 
N'ayez  point  pour  ce  fait  r esprit  sur  les  cpines  = 

[MOLIERE.] 

Do  not  worry  yourself  on  that  account. 
C'est  un  vrai  fagot  d'epines  ;  on  ne  saitpar  on  le  prendre 
—  He  is  a  queer,  unmanageable  man ;  there  is  no 
knowing  how  to  deal  with  him. 

Epingle. —  Une  epingle  par  jour  fait  huit  sous  par  an  =  A 

pin  a  day  is  a  groat  a  year. 
Vous  tirez  sagement  votre  epingle  dujeu  — 

[MOLIERE.] 

You  are  wise  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  that  busi- 
ness.    You  cleverly  got  out  of  that  scrape. 
Elle  est  toujours  tir'ee  a  quatre  epingles  =  She  always  is 

very  smart.     She  always  looks  as  if  she  came  out  of 

a  band-box. 
J'ai  mis  une  epingle  au  bout  de  ma  manche  [familiar]  = 

I  made  a  special  memorandum  of  it. 

Epitaphe.  —  Menteur  comme   une  epitaphe  =  A  fulsome 
flatterer. 

Epithete. — Amas   d'epithetes,    mauvaises   louanges  —  Too 
many  flattering  epithets  is  no  suitable  praise. 

Eponge. — -Je  consens   a  passer  Feponge  la-dessus  =  \  am 

willing  to  forget  all  about  this. 
On  a  press'e  Veponge  =  They  drained  him  dry.     They 

were  extortionate. 
C'est  vouloir  s'echer  la  mer  avec  des  eponges  =  That  is  to 

attempt  an  impossibility. 

//  a  une  eponge  dans  le  gosier—  He  is  very  fond  of  drink. 
//  boit  comme  une  eponge  =  He  drinks  like  a  fish. 
Epoux. — Dejeunes  epoux  =  A  young  married  couple. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        175 

Epreuve. — Je  ne  le  prends  qrfa  repreuve  =  \  take  it  only 
on  trial. 

L  'imp rimeur  m'a  envoy e  une  seconde  epreuve,  une 
troisieme  epreuve  =  T\\e  printer  sent  me  a  revise,  a 
second  revise. 

C'est  un  ami,  un  seruiteur  a  toute  epreuve  =  He  is  a 
devoted  friend,  a  faithful  servant. 

//  est  a  V epreuve  de  I 'argent,  a  V epreuve  de  toute  tenta- 
tion  —  He  is  proof  against  bribes,  against  all  tempta- 
tion. 

A  r epreuve  de  la  pluie  (pu  de  Feau\  du  feu  =  Water- 
proof, fire-proof. 

Epuiser. — Le  livre  est  epuise  =  T\\e  book  is  out  of  print. 

Equipage. — L  equipage    de  Jean    de   Paris  =  The   Lord 

Mayor's  state-coach. 

//  roule  equipage  =  He  keeps  his  carriage. 
Nous  voila  dans  un  bel  equipage  =  We  are  in  a  pretty 

plight. 

Equipde. — La  belle  equipee  !  =  A  nice  kettle  offish  ! 

Ereinte*.— Je  suis  ereinte  =  I  am  done  up  [literally,  I  have 
no  backbone  left.] 

Ermite. — Quand  le  diable  est  vieux,  il  se  fait  ermite=  [See 
DIABLE.] 

Erreur. — Erreur  ri  est  pas  compte  =  Errors  excepted.    Error 

is  no  crime. 
Qui  gai  fait  une  erreur  la  boit  a  repentance  =  He  who 

errs  at  pleasure  will  repent  at  leisure. 
Escalier.* — Lesprit  de  Fescalier  lui  viendra  en  aide  a  la 

seconde  seance  =  FLis  afterthoughts  [on  the  staircase, 

after  leaving  the  company]  will  help  him  on  the  next 

occasion. 

Escampette. — //  a  pris  de  la  poudre  d"1  escampette  =  He 
scampered  away. 


*  The  expression  Esprit  d'escalier  applies  to  a  happy  thought  or 
good  idea  or  argument  that  may  occur  to  a  person  on  the  staircase,  after 
leaving  a  meeting  or  interview.  Who  has  not  occasionally  experienced 
something  of  the  kind  ? 


176       FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Escient. — -Je  park  a  Ion  escient=  I  speak  knowingly. 
Esclave. — //  a  toujours  ete  esclave  de  sa  parole  —  He  always 

kept  his  word. 
Espece. — Dans  Pesplce  (a  legal  term)  =  In  the  case  in 

question. 
//  vous  patera  en  especes  sonnantes  =  He  will  pay  you  in 

hard  cash. 
Espiegle.* — Cette  jeune  fille  est  line  petite  espicgle  =  She  is  a 

roguish,  sprightly  lass. 
Espionnage.  —Espionnage  delictueux  =  Misdemeanour. 

Espionnage  criminel=  Felony. 
Espoir. — Uespoir fait  vivre-  Hope  is  life. 
Esprit. — 1} esprit  court  les  rues  =  Wit  is  a  drug  in  the  market. 
Les  beaux  esprits  se  rencontrent=^N\\.?>  jump  together. 
//  a  r  esprit  Men  fait :=  He  is  good-tempered. 
II  petille  d"1  esprit ;  II  a  de  r  esprit  comme  qiiatre  =  He  is 

remarkably  witty. 

//  a  de  P  esprit  jusqitau  bout  des  doigts  =  [See  DOIGT.] 
Elle  a  V esprit  vit=  She  is  quick-witted. 
Les  esprits  m'ediocres  condamnent  d"1  ordinaire  tout  ce  qui 
passe  leur  portee  =  [LA  ROCHEFOUCAULD.] 

Common-minded  people  generally  condemn  what 

is  beyond  their  understanding. 
//  a  eu  le  bon  esprit  de  garder  le  silence  —  He  had  sense 

enough  to  remain  silent. 
Cela  ne  me  seraitjamais  venu  a  r  esprit  =  I  should  never 

have  thought  of  that. 
Esprit  de  vertige  =  Spirit  of  infatuation. 

Nul  rtaura  de  P esprit,  hors  nous  et  nos  amis  = 

[MOLI&RE,  Les  Femmes  Savantes.] 

No  one  shall  have  any  wit,  except  ourselves  and  our 
friends. 


*  Espiegle,  Espieglerie.  From  the  Latin  speculum,  a  mirror,  through 
the  German  Spiegel.  The  latter  word,  as  remarked  by  Scheler,  having 
entered  into  the  compound  Ettlen-spiegel\\i\.&ia\\y,  mirror  of  owls],  which 
is  the  name  of  the  hero — I5th  century — in  a  well-known  literary  com- 
position, translated  into  French  under  the  title,  "  Tiel-Ulespiegle,"  has 
supplied  our  French  word  espiegle,  in  allusion  to  that  facetious  per- 
sonage who  is  the  type  of  espieglcrie. 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS       177 

Lxuvre  a  ete  conduite  jusqu'id  avec  esprit de  suite-— The 
work  has  thus  far  been  carried  on  with  consistency. 
La  lettre  tue  et  r esprit  vivifie  =  ThQ  letter  killeth  but 

the  spirit  giveth  life. 
Le  malin  esprit =  The  evil  spirit. 

Les  esprits  forts  savent-ils  qrfon  les  appelle  ainsi  par 
ironic  ?=  [LA  BRUYERE.] 

Are  strong-minded  people  aware  that  it  is  ironi- 
cally they  are  called  so  ? 
//  est  Men  dans  r  esprit  de  ses  chefs  =•  He  stands  well 

with  his  chiefs. 

//  a    r  esprit    aux   talons  =  His   brains   are   a   wool- 
gathering. 

Quand  on  court  apres  r  esprit,  on  trouve  la  sottise  =  He 
who  exerts  himself  to  be  witty  proves  himself  a  fool. 
L?  esprit  qrfon  veut  avoir  gate  celui  qu'on  a  = 

[CRESSET.] 

The  wit  one  tries  to  have  spoils  that  which  one  has. 
Reprenez  vos  esprits  =  Recover  yourself. 
Essayer. — •//  u'en  coute  rien  cTessayer  —  ^iQ\\  can  but  try. 
Essieu.— Trop    charge,    Fessieu    rompt  =  Everything    in 

moderation. 

Essuyer. — -J'ai  essuye  un  refus-  I  met  with  a  refusal 
EstOC. — Frapper  d'estoc  et  de  faille-  To  thrust  and  cut. 
Estomac. — Le  creux  de  restomac  =  The  pit  of  the  stomach. 
Estropier. —  Vous  avez  estropie  ce  passage  =  You  mutilated 

that  passage. 

litage. — Son  menton  sur  son  sein  descend  a  double  etage  = 

[BoiLEAU,  Le  Lulriii.] 

His  chin  comes  down  with  a  fold  on  his  breast. 
litalage. — II  fait  etalage  de  son  savoir  -  He  makes  a  show 

of  his  learning. 

litape.* — Nous   avons   brtile   retape  —  VJe   went    through 
without  stopping. 


*  Etape,  halting-place.  Originally,  it  meant  the  market-place,  where 
all  merchants  were  obliged  to  bring  their  goods  for  sale.  Then,  by 
extension,  the  word  meant  a  city  where  a  certain  trade  was  carried 

VOL.    I.  M 


178       FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Etat. — La  maison  est  en  bon  etat  —  The  house  is  in  good 

repair. 

Si  vous  louez.  faites  faire  un  etat  des  Heux  =  If  you  let, 

have  an  inventory  made  of  the  premises,  fixtures,  &c. 

Je  fats  pen  d'etat  de  ses  menaces  =  I  care  but  little  for 

his  threats. 
//  est  en  etat  de  se  defendre  =  He  is  able  to  take  care  of 

himself. 

lien  fait  une  affaire  d'etat  —  He  makes  a  mountain  of  it. 

Les  choses  restent  en  Fetat  =•  Things  remain  in  statu  quo. 

Elliptically  :  dans  Fetat  ou  elles  etaient,  As  they  were. 

Je  Fai  trouve  dans  tous  ses  etats  [familiar]  =  I  found  him 

in  a  great  state  of  excitement. 
Eteindre. — Sole  et  satin,  velours,  hermine,  eteignent  le  feu 

de  la  cuistne  =  [See  CUISINE.] 
s'Etendre. — -Je  ne  veux  pas  ufetendre  sur  ce  sujet=\  will 

not  dwell  on  this  subject. 
Eteuf. — II  court  apres  son  eteuf=  He  endeavours  to  recover 

his  loss. 

//  renvoya  Feteuf=  He  sent  back  the  ball,  giving  his 
man  as  good  as  he  had  brought.  He  gave  him  a 
Roland  for  his  Oliver. 

Etincelle. — Petite   etincelle   engendre  grand  feu  =  Let   us 
beware  of  small  beginnings. 

Etiquette. — Ne  jugez  pas  sur  Fetiquette  —  Do  not  judge 

from  appearances. 

//  tient  a  F etiquette  =  He  stands  upon  ceremony. 
Etoffe. — //  y  a  de  Fetoffe  chez  ce  gar$on  =  This  is  a  promis- 
ing lad. 

Etoile. — Us  ont  du  coucher  a  la  belle  etoile  =  [See  COUCHER.] 
//  pretend  leur  faire  voir  des  etoiles  en  plein  midi  =  He 

is  trying  to  bamboozle  them. 
Une  etoile  filante  —  A  shooting  star. 


on.  "  Alexanclrie,  etant  devenue  la  seule  etape,  cette  etape  grossit " 
[MONTESQUIEU,  Esprit  des  Lois,  xxi.]  Later  on,  the  word  etape 
expressed  the  supply  of  food  and  forage  given  to  the  troops,  and 
finally,  the  quarters  where  the  soldiers  on  march  stop  for  the  night,  and 
where  they  receive  their  ration. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND   PROVERBS       179 

Etoupe. — Cela  a  mis  lefeu  aux  etoupes  =  \\.  added  fuel  to 
the  flame. 

Etourdir. — //  a  mange  une  cotelette  pour  etourdir  la  grosse 
faim  —  He  ate  up  a  mutton  chop  to  stay  his 
stomach. 

Les  dentistes  aujourd'hui  ?y  prennent  tres  bien  pour 
etourdir  la  doukur=  Dentists  nowadays  manage  very 
well  to  beguile  the  pain. 

s'EtOUfdir. — //  cherche  a  s ^etourdir =  He  seeks  to  forget 
his  troubles. 

Etre. — Monsieur  y  est-ill — Non,  Monsieur  rfy  est  pas  =  \s 
the  gentleman  in  ? — No,  my  master  is  not  at  home. 

Je  n'y  suis  pour  personne  —  I  am  not  at  home  for  any 
one. 

fy  suis  =  I  am  ready. 

Oh  !  fy  suis  maintenant=Q\\\  I  see  now;  I  under- 
stand. 

Je  n'y  suis  pour  rien  -  I  have  had  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

Ny  suis-je point  encore  1  =  [LA  FONTAINE.] 

Don't  I  reach  it  yet  ? 

j&tes-vous  des  no  tres  1 — Oui,fen  .$•#«  =  Will  you  be  one 
of  our  party  ? — Yes,  I'll  join. 

fy  suis  pour  quelques  actions  =  I  have  a  few  shares  in 
the  concern. 

//  n'en  est  rien  =  That  is  not  the  case. 

//  n'en  sera  rien  =  There  will  be  nothing  of  the  kind. 

//  n'en  a  rien  ete  —  Nothing  came  of  it. 

//  en  est  de  vous  comme  de  tout  le  monde  =  It  is  with  you 
as  with  everybody  else. 

II  en  est  de  meme  de  nous=  It  is  the  same  with  us. 

fa  y  est  =  That's  it !     All  right ! 

Nous  en  avons  ete  pour  notre  peine  =  We  had  our  trouble 

for  nothing. 

Voila  ce  que  f'esf—That  is  the  consequence  of  it. 
Vous  voyez  oil  fen  suis  =  You  see  how  I  am  situated. 

Ou  en  ites-vous  de  votre  livre  1  -  How  are  you  getting 
on  with  your  book  ? 

Ou  en  etions-nous  hier  ?  =  Where  did  we  leave  off  yester- 
day? 


180       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Serait-ce  que  le  luxe  s'en  va  ?  =  Can  it  be  because  luxury 

is  going  out  ? 
Cela  n 'est  pas  pour  nous  deplaire  =  That  is  not  calculated 

to  displease  us. 
Nous  sommes  tres  bien  ensemble  =  We  are  on  very  good 

terms  together. 

//  ne  m'est  rien  =  He  is  neither  kith  nor  kin  to  me. 
//  est  a  se  griser  dans  quelque  trou  - 

[A.  DE  MUSSET,  Fantasia.] 
He  is  engaged  intoxicating  himself  in  some  wretched 

hole. 
Ou  en  sont  les  choses  actuellement  ?  =  How  do  matters 

stand  now  ? 
N'etait,  rfeut  etc  cette  circonstance  =  Were  it  not,  had  it 

not  been  for  this  circumstance. 
Tache  delicate,  s'il  en  fut  jamais  =  A  difficult  task,  if 

ever  there  was  one. 

//  est  des  moments  ou  les  minutes  semblent  des  sticks  a 
celui  qui  croit  saisir  la  victoire  — 

[Due  D'AUMALE.] 

There  are  times  when  minutes  seem  like  centuries  to 

him  who  believes  that  he  is  about  to  snatch  victory. 

Prenne  qui  voudra  le  monopole  d'exploiter  FEgypte  du 

jour  et  de  depouiller  les  fellahs,  PEgypte,    dans  ses 

quarante  siecles,  est  a  la  France  de  par  le  genie  de 

Champollion  et  de  Marie  tie  = 

QAMES  DARMESTETER,  Essais  Orientaux.~\ 
Let  those  who  like  assume  the  monopoly  of  using 
modern  Egypt  to  their  own  profit  and  of  stripping 
the  fellahs,  Egypt,  in  her  forty  centuries,  belongs 
to  France  by  the  genius  of  Champollion  and  of 
Mariette. 

Cela  etant=Such  being  the  case. 
Toujours  est-il  que  .  .  .  =  The  fact  remains  that  .  .  . 
//  etait  unefois  .  .  .  =  There  was  once  upon  a  time  .  .  . 
Quoi  qu'il  en  s0it=Be  that  as  it  may. 
He  bien  !  soit  -  Well,  let  it  be  so. 
Si  ce  n'est  que  =  Except  that. 

On  ne  peut  pas  ctre  et  avoir  ete  =  You  cannot  eat  your 
cake  and  have  it  still. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS       l8l 

Etrenner. — On  vous  attend  pour  ctrenner  le  nouvel  hotel= 
They  arc  waiting  for  you  to  be  the  first  to  use  the 
new  hotel. 

Etres. — -Je  connais  tons  les  elres  de  la  maison  *  —  I  know  all 
the  ins  and  outs  of  the  house. 

Etrier. — II  a  maintenant  le  pied  dans  f  etrier  =1A.Q  is  now 

in  a  fair  way  to  success. 
//  est  ferine  sur  ses  etriers  =  He  stands  on  good  ground  ; 

He  is  steady  in  his  views. 
fai  ete  Men  aise  de  lui  tenir  les  etriers  —  I  was  glad  to 

give  him  a  lift. 
Vous  ne  pouvez  pas  partir  sans  boire  le  vin  de  I' etrier  = 

You  cannot  go  without  drinking  the  parting  cup. 

[See  COUP.] 

Se  lancer  a  franc  etrier  dans  le  vaste  domaine  des  con- 
jectures =  To  launch  at  full  speed  in  the  vast  field  of 

conjectures. 
II  faut  toujours  avoir  son  paquet  pret  et  le  pied  a  I1  etrier 

pour  voyager  dans  Pautre  monde  =  [VOLTAIRE.] 

One  must  always  have  one's  bundle  ready,  with  one 

foot  in  the  stirrup,  to  set  off  for  the  next  world. 
Le  pied  de  /*AW«r«»Th.e  left  fore-foot  of  the  horse. 

litriller. — Nous  avons  ete  rudement  etrilles  dans  cet  hotel= 
We  got  unmercifully  fleeced  at  that  hotel. 

litrivieres. — On  lui  a  donn'e  les  etrivieres  =  They  gave  him 
a  good  thrashing. 

Etroit. — -Us  sont  a  Petroit,  Us  vivent  a  /'<?/m'/=They  are  in 

narrow  circumstances. 

//  a  la  conscience  etroite  comme  la  manche  d'un  cordelier 
=  [See  CORDELIER.] 

Etude. — Ce  notaire  a  vendu  son  £/#*/<?  =  That  notary  has 
sold  his  practice. 

il. — £tn  en  eveil=  To  be  on  the  watch,  on  one's  guard. 


*  Connaitre  les  Stres  de  la  maison  is  to  know  the  different  parts  and 
arrangements  of  a  house.  The  word  was  formerly  spelt  (more  correctly) 
aifres,  being  derived  from  the  Latin  atrium,  atria. 


182        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND   PROVERBS 

Eveille. — Cet  enfant  est  eveille  eomme  une  potee  de  souris  = 
This  child  is  as  brisk  as  a  bee. 

Eventer. — La  meche  a  ete  eventee  =  The  secret  got  found 
out. 

Eveque.  —  Se  faire    d' eveque   meunier,    devenir  d*  eveque 

fneunier  =  To  come  down  in  the  world. 
Crosse  de  bois,  eveque  d'or  ;  crosse  d'or,  eveque  de  bois  = 
The  Church  was  most  honoured  when  the  clergy 
was  poor. 

Un  chien  regarde  bien  un  eveque  =  A  cat  may  look  at  a 
king. 

Evidence. — //  se  met  trap  en  evidence  =  He  makes  himself 
too  conspicuous. 

Exciper. — //  excipe  de  sa  qualite  d'etr anger  pour  echapper 
au  service  militaire  =  He  pleads  his  qualification  as  a 
foreigner  to  escape  the  military  service. 

Excuse.—^?  vous  fais  mes  excuses  =  \  beg  your  pardon. 

Excuser. — Excusez!    comme   vous  y   «//«;/  =  Upon    my 

word,  that's  cool  of  you  ! 

Excusez  du  pen  1  =  That's  all,  is  it  ?  (ironically).     How 
very  modest ! 

s'ExGUSer. — -Je  m'en  suis  excuse  =\  declined  doing  it. 

Qui  s1  excuse  s' accuse  =  He   who   comes   forward  with 
excuses  thereby  pleads  guilty. 

s'Ex^CUter. — //  s'est  execute  de  bonne  grace  =  He  complied 
with  good  grace. 

Exemple. — Ah  !    par  exemple ;    c'est  trop  fort  =  Why, 

really  !  this  is  too  much. 
//  a  ete  severement  funi,  parce  qu'on  voulait  faire  un 

exemple  =  He  was  severely  punished,  because  they 

wanted  to  make  an  example  of  him. 
II preche  d' exemple  =  He  practises  what  he  preaches. 

Expliquer. — Explique  cela  qui  pourra  =  It  is  unaccount- 
able. Let  him  explain  that  who  can. 

s'Expliquer.^/i?  ne  nfexplique pas  cela  =  \  cannot  under- 
stand that. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        183 

Exploiter. — Us  ont  exploite  son  inexperience  =  They  took 
advantage  of  his  inexperience. 

Extreme. — Les  extremes  se  touchent  =  Extremes  meet.    Too 
far  east  is  west. 

P. 

Fable. — Elle   est  la  fable   de   toute  la  ville  =  She  is  the 

laughing-stock  of  the  whole  town. 
Fabrique. — Prix  defabrique  =  Cost  price. 

C'esf  de  sa  fabrique  =  T\\\s  is  of  his  own  doing. 
Face. — //  a  uneface  rejout'e  =  IlQ  has  a  jolly  countenance. 

II  f era  face  a  ses  affaires  =  He  will  meet  all  his  engage- 
ments. 

Les  affaires  ont  change  de  face  =  Matters  have  assumed 
another  aspect. 

Us  ont  fait  volte-face  =  They  wheeled  round. 

J'ai  considere  V affaire  sous  toutes  ses  faces  — \  have  con- 
sidered the  matter  in  all  its  bearings. 

Sauver  "  la  face  "  est  une  expression  chinoise  apparem- 
ment  bien  connue  d'une  autre  race  jaune  a  Mada- 
gascar =  To  save  "the  face,"  /.<?.,  appearances,  is  a 
Chinese  expression  apparently  well  known  to  another 
yellow  race  at  Madagascar. 

Jouer  a  pile  ou  face  =  To  play  at  head  or  tail ;  to  toss. 
Facilit^. — II  if  a  aucune  facilite  =  He  has  no  aptitude. 
Fac,on. — C'est  un  nouveau  tour  de  sa  fafon  =  This  is  a  new 
trick  of  his. 

Je  vais  lui  servir  un  plat  de  ma  fctfon  =  I'll  give  him  a 
bone  to  pick. 

La  f  aeon  coute  cfor  =  The  workmanship  is  dear. 

A  lafa$on  des  Grecs  =  After  the  manner  of  the  Greeks. 

Defa^on  ou  d1  autre  =  Somehow  or  other. 

Sansfaf0n  =  Without  ceremony. 

11  est  plan  defa{ons  =  ~R&  is  very  ceremonious. 

//  a  bonne  fapn  =  He  is  good-looking. 

De  toute  fa$on,  il  me  le  faut—  Anyhow,  I  must  have  it. 

C'est  un  tailleur  d  facon  =  This  tailor  makes  up  your 
own  materials. 


184       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Cela  n'a  ni  mine  ni  fa$6n  =  That  has  neither  grace  nor 

shape. 

En  aucune  fa$on  =  By  no  means. 
Je  lui  en  donnerai  de  la  bonne  facon  =  I  will  give  it  him 

well. 
//  s'en  donne  de  la  bonne  fa$on  =  He  is  going  on  at  a 

fine  rate. 

Defapn  que  .  .  .  =  So  that  .  .  . 
C'est  une  simple  fafon  de  parler  -  It  is  only  a  way  of 

speaking. 
SC  Fa^onner. — Jl  s'yfaconnera  =  'Re  will  get  accustomed 

to  it. 
Faction. — -J'etais  en  faction  =  I  was  mounting  guard. 

Fagot. — C'est  un  fagot  d'epines  ;    on  ne  sait  par  ou  le 

prendre  -  [See  I^PINE.] 

II  y  a  fagots  et  fagots  —  All  men  are  not  alike. 
Cet  ecrit  sent  un  peu  le  fagot  —  This  writing  is  rather 

tainted  with  heresy. 
Fagoter. —  Comme  vous  voila  fagote  > '  =  What  a  fright  you 

have  made  of  yourself ! 
Faible. — Je  connais  le  fort  et  le  faible  de  V affaire  =  I  know 

the  ins  and  outs  of  the  affair. 
//  a  toujours  eu  un  faible  pour  elle  =  He  always  was 

partial  to  her. 
//  a  les  reins  trop  faibles  pour  un  pareil  poste  —  He  is 

not  up  to  the  mark  for  such  a  post. 
Faillir. — -J'aifailli  tomber=\  nearly  fell  down. 

Faim. — -Je  meurs  de  faim  =  I  am  starving. 

On  les  a  reduits  par  la  faim  =  They  got  starved  out. 

Us  se  sont  laisses  mourir  de  faim  =  They  starved  them- 
selves to  death. 

La  faim  chasse  le  loup  hors  du  bois  =  Hunger  will  break 
through  stone  walls. 

C'est  la  faim  qui  epouse  la  soif=  It  is  one  beggar  marry- 
ing another. 

Faire. — Que faire?  =  What  is  to  be  done? 
Po^^rquoi  faire  ?  =  What  for  ? 
Comment  faire  ?=  How  am  I  to  go  to  work  ? 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        185 

On  fait  ce  qu 'on  pent '=  One  does  one's  best. 
11 a  eu  vitefait  de  s'en  aller-  He  soon  got  away. 
Cela  ne  me  fait  ni  chaud  nifroid  =  It's  all  the  same  to  me. 
Faites  de  votre  miettx,  c'est  tout  ce  qu'on  vous  demande  = 

Do  your  best,  that's  all  that  is  required  of  you. 
Qdest-ce  que  cela  me  fait?  =  What  is  that  to  me  ? 
J'ai  beau  dire :  rien  riy  fait=  My  talking  is  of  no  use  : 

it  has  no  effect. 
11 ferait  beau  le  voir  oser  desobeir=  I  should  like  to  see 

him  dare  to  disobey. 
Qu'est-ce  que  cela  fait  ? — Mais,  cela  fait  beaucoup  =  What 

difference  does  it  make? — Why,  it  makes  all  the 

difference. 
C'est  bienfait ;  cela  vous  apprendra  =  It  serves  you  right ; 

it  will  teach  you  to  know  better. 
77  est  un  peu  mou :  on  le  fait  aller  comme  on  vent  — 

He  is  rather  soft :  you  can  do  with  him  what  you  like. 
//  rien  fait  qu'a  sa  tete  =  He  is  very  self-willed. 
C'en  est  fait  =  It  is  all  over. 
//  a  encore  fait  des  siennes  \_farces  understood]  =  He  has 

been  at  his  tricks  again. 
//  en  fait  de  belles •=  He  behaves  nicely,  very. 
//  Fa  fait  arreter,  puis  fusilier  =  He  got  him  locked  up, 

then  shot. 
//  ria  que  faire  de  votre  argent  =  He  does  not  want 

your  money. 
//  fera  son  chemin  tout  seul=  He  will  get  on  in  the 

world  by  his  own  merit. 
Mon  fils  ain'e  faisait  jusqd  a  cent  milles  par  jour  sur  sa 

bicyclette  -  My  eldest  son  would  ride  no  less  than  one 

hundred  miles  a  day  on  his  bicycle. 
Que  voulez-vous  que  fy  fasse  ?  =  I  can't  help  it ;  how 

^  can  I ? 
A  chose  faite  point  de  remede^'Wha.t  is  done  cannot  be 

helped. 

//  rien  fera  rien  —  He  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind. 
Oil  avez-vous  ete  pour  etre  ainsifait?  =  Where  have  you 

been  to  be  in  such  a  state,  in  such  a  mess  ? 
J^ai  fait  toutes  les  boutiques  pour  trouver  le  pareil=\ 

tried  every  shop  to  match  it. 


1 86       FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Notre  jeune  auteur  fera  un  jour  plus  large,  plus  etoffe  = 
Our  young  author's  composition  will  some  day  have 
a  wider  grasp  and  more  substance. 

//  nefait  que  de  venir=  He  has  only  just  arrived. 

//  nefait  qu'aller  et  vem'r=He  keeps  going  to  and  fro. 

Us  font  regulierement  la  Saint-Lundi=  They  never  work 
on  Monday. 

Us  font  la  noce  =  They  enjoy  themselves. 

//  nous  a  fait  faire  antichambre  -  He  kept  us  dancing 
attendance. 

Je  suis  fait  a  son  humeur—  I  am  used  to  his  temper. 

//  est  malfait=  He  is  ill-shaped. 

Vous  aurez  fort  a  faire  —  You  will  have  a  good  deal  of 
trouble. 

Qui  bien  fera,  bien  trouvera  =  Industry  shall  be  re- 
warded. 

Lais sez-moi j air e  =•  Leave  it  to  me. 

Laissez-le  faire  —  Leave  him  alone. 

//  fait  ires  cher  vivre  maintenant  a  Paris,  et  surtout 
dans  la  banlieue  —  Living  in  Paris  is  now  very  dear, 
and  especially  so  in  the  suburbs. 

Si  faire  se  peut=  If  it  can  be  done. 

Us  nefont  $u'un  =  They  are  hand  and  glove  together. 

II  n'a  fait  ni  une  ni  deux  ;  il  les  a  chasses  =  He  stood  no 
nonsense ;  he  turned  them  out. 

Comme  vous  le  faites  «//<?/•/  =  How  you  do  send  him 
about !  You  make  him  do  exactly  what  you  like. 

J'ai fait  venir  le  medecin  =  I  sent  for  the  doctor. 

Allans  faire  un  tour  en  z7//<?  =  Let  us  go  for  a  walk  in 
the  town. 

//  ne  fait  pas  bon  se  fier  a  lui=  It  is  not  safe  to  trust 
him. 

Combien  faites-vous  ces  poulets  ?  =  How  much  do  you 
want  for  these  chickens  ? 

Ces  lapins  ne  sont  pas  faits  =  Those  rabbits  are  too 
young. 

C'esf  maintenant  un  homme  fait=  He  is  now  a  full- 
grown  man. 

Faites  nous  vm'r='Let  us  see ;  Just  show  us. 

Faites-lui  dire  =  Send  him  word. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        187 

Son  oncle  lui  fait  500  livres  sterling  par  an  =  His  uncle 

allows  him  ,£500  a  year. 
En  fait  de  vetements,  je  ri en  fais  plus  faire  ;  fachete  du 

tout  fait  =  With  regard  to  clothes,  I  never  have  any 

made  to  order  now ;  I  buy  everything  ready  made. 
Ce  qui  est  fait  est  fait =  What  is  done  cannot  be  helped. 
C'est  un  prix  fait=  It  is  a  set  price. 
J£  qui  est-ce  a  faire  ?  =  Whose  deal  is  it  ? 
On  a  fait  la  lumiere  sur  cette  affaire  =  The  affair  got 

investigated  and  cleared  up. 
Lettre  de  faire  part=  A  circular  letter  to  announce  a 

marriage,  a  birth,  or  a  death. 
//  m'a  fait  part  de  son  intention  =  He  informed  me  of 

his  intention. 
Quel  fond  peut-on  faire  sur  ces  chtffres  ?  =  What  reliance 

can  be  placed,  what  calculation  can  be  based,  upon 

those  figures? 
Cela  fait  tres  bien   dans   le  paysage  =  It  looks  very 

well. 

Ma  surprise  est,  fis-je,  sans  seconde  .  .  . 

— Out,  fit-elle  .  .  .  [MOLIERE.] 

My   surprise,    said   I,    is   extreme  .  .  . — Yes,   said 

she  .  .  . 
Nous  causerons  de  cela  chemin  faisant  =  We  shall  talk 

about  that  on  our  way. 

Cessez  done,  cela  me  fait  mal=  Have  done,  that  hurts  me. 
Personne  ne  fait  le  mal  pour  le  plaisir  de  faire  le  mal, 

dit  Bacon  ;  que  n' est-ce  parfaitement  vrai  /  =  No  man, 

says  Bacon,   doth  a  wrong  for  the  wrong's  sake ; 

would  that  it  were  perfectly  true ! 
Nous  faisons  de  la  musique  tous  les  soirs  =  We   have 

some  music  every  evening. 

Faites  attention,  je  vous  en  prie  =  Pray,  do  pay  attention. 

C'est  un  esprit  inal  fait  =  He  is  a  wrong-headed  fellow. 

J'ai  fait  semblant  de  ne  rien  voir  =  I  pretended  to  see 

nothing. 
//  fait  la  pluie  et  le  beau  temps  dans  la  maison  =  He 

rules  the  roast  in  the  house. 
Ne  faites  pas  I'aumone  sans  discernement=  Do  not  give 

alms  indiscriminately. 


1 88        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Je  tacherai  de  vous  le  faire  avoir  =  I  will  try  to  procure 

it  for  you. 
Avez-vous  fait  ma  couverturet  =  Have  you  turned  down 

my  bed  ? 

Cela  /era  tres  Men  I' affaire  =  That  will  do  very  well. 
II  fait  des  armes  tous  les  jours  =  He  fences  every  day. 
On  lui  av  ait  fait  tort :  le  juge  a  fait  droit  a  sa  demande 

=  He  had  been  wronged  :    the  judge  granted  his 

request. 
Ne  fats  pas  a  autrui  ce  que  tu  ne  voudrais  pas  qu'on  te 

fit=  Do  as  you  would  be  done  by. 
J  ^  en  fais  grand  cas  =  I  set  much  value  upon  it. 
Ne  faites  pas  la  sourde  oreille=  Do  not  turn  a  deaf  ear. 
//  a  fait  tout  de  suite  le  gros  dos  =  He  set  up  his  back  at 

once. 
Ne  faites  done  pas  ainsi  la  petite  bouche-  Do  not  be  so 

dainty. 
Elle  ne  fait  jamais  la  moue,  oh  jamais  !  =  She  never 

pouts,  she  never  sulks,  not  she  ! 
Pourquoi fais-tu  la  grimace  ?  -  Why  do  you  grin  ? 
Faites-hii  bonne  mine,  bon  accueil=  Receive  him  kindly. 
Us  font  maigre  en  Careme  —  They  eat  no  flesh  in  Lent. 
Je  ne  fat's  pas  gras  le  Vendredi  saint  —  I  abstain  from 

meat  on  Good  Friday. 
Ces  fleurs  font  r admiration,  F  etonnement  de  tous  les 

passants  —  These   flowers   are   admired  by  all   the 

passers-by. 
Ce  mauvais  sujet  fait  le  desespoir  de  sa  famille  =  This 

bad  fellow  is  the  despair  of  his  family. 
Son  frere  fait  leur  joie  et  leur  bonheur=  His  brother  is 

a  source  of  joy  and  happiness  to  them. 
C'est  a  vous  a  faire  les  premieres  avances=\\.  is  for  you 

to  take  the  first  step. 
II  fait  le  bon  apotre  —  He  plays  the  saint. 
Elle  fait  la  sainte  Nitouche  =  She  is  very  sanctimonious, 

and   looks   as    if  butter   would    not    melt    in   her 

mouth. 

Vous  faites  peur  a  cet  enfant  =  You  frighten  that  child. 
//  fait  Men  des  embarras  =  He  is  very  fussy,  and  gives 

himself  great  airs. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS       189 

Une  bonne  a  tout  faire  =  A  maid  of  all  work. 

II  fait  le  brave,  lefort=  He  gives  himself  out  as  plucky, 

as  strong. 
//  fait  Phomme  d' importance,  le  grand  seigneur  —  He 

sets  up  as  a  great  personage. 
II fait  le  difficile  =  He  affects  to  be  hard  to  please. 
II  fait  le  bon  enfant =  He  assumes  an  easy-going,  good- 
natured  disposition. 

Nefaites  done  pas  renfant=  [See  ENFANT.] 
Ne  faites pas  retonn'e  =  Don't  pretend  to  be  surprised. 
Ne  faites  pas  Pignorant,  I' innocent  =  Don't  affect  to 

know  nothing  of  it. 
11 fait  le  malade  =  He  shams  illness. 
Allans,  ne  faites  done  pas  le  malin,  le  mechant,  le  mata- 

more  —  Come,  don't  put  on  those  knowing  looks, 

those  fierce,  ferocious  airs. 
//  fait  le  pauvre,  le  riche  -  He  gives  himself  out  as 

poor,  as  rich. 

II  fait  le  savant =  He  sets  up  as  a  learned  man. 
11  est  habile  a  faire  le  #/<?;-/=  He  plays  the  dead  man 

very  cleverly. 

II  fait  deja  grand  jour •=•  It  is  daylight  already. 
//  commence  a  faire  nuit  de  bonne  heure  =  \\.  is  getting 

dark  early. 

II fait  noir  comme  dans  unfour—  It  is  pitch  dark. 
Quel  temps  fait-il?  =  What  sort  of  weather  is  it  ? 
Quel  temps  ilfait  1  —  What  weather  ! 
II  fait  du  soleil,  de  Forage,  du  vent,  du  brouillard=  It  is 

sunny,  stormy,  windy,  foggy. 
II  fait  beau,  mauvais,  humide,  chaud,  doux,  froid,  glis- 

sanf=It  is  fine  weather,  bad  weather,  it  is  damp,  it 

is  warm,  it  is  mild,  it  is  cold,  it  is  slippery. 

SC  Faire. —  Vous  vous  yferez:  on  se  fait  a  <fo#/=You  will 
get  used  to  it :  Habit  is  a  second  nature. 

Comment  cela  se  fait-il  1  =••  How  is  that?  How  do  you 
account  for  that  ? 

Cela  se  fait  tons  les  jours  =*Tb&\  is  done  every  day. 

Paris  ne  s^est  pas  fait  en  un  jour  =  Rome  was  not  built 
in  a  day. 


I  go        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Je  me  fais  fort  de  le  prouver=  I  undertake  to  prove  it. 
Us  se  sont  fait  jour  a  travers  les  rangs  -  They  forced 

their  way  through  the  ranks. 
Je  suis  en  train  de  me  faire  la  main  =  I  am  getting 

accustomed  to  the  work. 
Je  me  fais  vieux  =  \  am  getting  old 
Ne  vous  f aites  pas  plus  vieux  que  vous  n'etes  =  Don't 

pretend  to  be  older  than  you  are. 
line  se fera pas prier  =  He  will  not  want  pressing. 
II  se  fait  trop  de  mauvais  sang=  He  frets  too  much. 
Vous  ne  vous  f  aites  pas  de  bile,  je  vois  =  I  see  you  take 

things  easy. 
//  se  fait  avec  cela  de  jolis  revenus  =  He  gets  a  good 

income  out  of  that. 
La  lumiere  commence  a  se  faire  sur  ce  mystere  =  That 

mystery  is  beginning  to  get  cleared  up. 
11  se  fait  tard—  It  is  getting  late. 

Fait. —  Void  lefait=  Here  is  the  case. 

//  est  defait  que  .  .  .  =  It  is  a  fact  that  .  .  . 

Je  n'ai  pas  ete  mis  aufait=  I  have  not  been  let  into  the 

secret. 
C'est  rhomme  le  plus  an  fait  de  cette  affaire  =  Of  all 

men,  he  is  the  best  acquainted  with  the  particulars 

of  the  case. 
Aufaitl  vous-dis-je=  [RACINE,  Les Plaideurs.] 

Come  to  the  point,  I  tell  you. 
Je  ne  me  general  pas  pour  lui  dire  son  fait '=  I  shall  not 

hesitate  to  tell  him  plainly  what   I    think   of  his 

conduct. 
Comment  done1}      Mais  si  fait !  =  Why,   yes,   to   be 

sure. 
£tes-vous  sur  de  votrefaitt  =  Are  you  sure  of  what  you 

state  ? 

II  a  ete  pris  sur  lefait=  He  was  caught  in  the  act. 
Je  mets  en  fait  que  .  .  .  =  1  maintain  that  .  .  . 
Je  songeais  que  tu  serais  Men  mon  fait,  si  tu  savais  lire 

et  ecrire  =  [Gil  Bias.] 

I  was  thinking  that  you  would  answer  my  purpose 
very  well,  if  you  could  read  and  write. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS       IQI 

Cette  place  sera  justement  son  fait—  That  situation  will 

suit  him  exactly. 

C'est  un  fait  accompli  =\\.  is  done,  irrevocably  done. 
f'ai  touj ours  pris  fait  et  cause  pour 'vous  =  [See  CAUSE.] 
Je  veux  qu'on  me  distingue,  et  pour  le  trancher  net, 
L'ami  du  genre  humain  riest  point  du  tout  mon  fait— 

[MOLIERE,  Le  Misanthrope.'} 

I  want  to  be  set  apart,  and,  to  speak  plainly,  the 
friend  of  the  whole  human  race  is  not  to  be  my 
man. 

Un  peuple  ne  peut  etre  responsable  des  faits  et  gestes 
d'une  poignee  d'energumcnes  —  A  whole  nation  cannot 
fairly  be  responsible  for  the  doings  of  a  handful  of 
fanatics. 

Je  voudrais,  n?en  coutat-il  grand' chose, 
Pour  la  beaute  du  fait,  avoir  perdu  ma  cause  = 

[MOLIERE,  Le  Misanthrope.] 
Were  it  to  cost  me  a  good  deal,  I  should  like,  for 

the  beauty  of  the  thing,  to  have  lost  my  lawsuit. 
Falloir. — C'est  un  homme  comme  ilfaut  —  He  is  a  gentleman. 
C'est  un  homme  comme  il  en  faut  —  He  is  one  of  those 

men  that  cannot  be  dispensed  with. 
Vous  ctes  r  homme  qu'il  me  faut  =  You  are  the  very  man 

I  want. 

//  le  faut=  It  must  be  so. 
Vous  n'etudiez  pas  comme  il  faut  =  You  do  not  study  as 

you  should. 

Que  vous  faut-ill  —  What  do  you  want  ? 
//  fallait  les  voir,  les  entendre  —  You  should  have  seen 

them,  heard  them. 

II  faudra  bien  qu'il  cede  =  He  shall  have  to  give  way. 
//  va  falloir  y  after  =  There  will  be  no  keeping  away 

from  it. 

II  faudra  voir  =  We  shall  have  to  see  to  it. 
J' ai  fait  ce  qu ''il  fallait  =  I  have  done  the  requisite. 

S'ilfaut  que  tu  me  deshonores  I         [MOLIERE.] 

If  you  are  to  dishonour  me  ! 

//  tfen  fallait  pas  davantage  pour  le  vexer=\t  was 
sufficient  to  annoy  him. 


192        FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

//  faut  peu  de  chose  a  Vhomme  ici-bas,  dit  Vermite  de 
Goldsmith  -  Man  wants  but  little  here  below,  says 
Goldsmith's  hermit. 

C'esf  plus  qu'il  ne  m' en  faut =  It  is  more  than  I  want. 
Combien  s'en  faut-i7?  =  How  much  is  wanting? 
//  s'en  est  fallu  de  Men  peu  qu'il  ne  fut  tu'e  —  He  was 

nearly  killed. 
//  s'en  faut  de  beaucoup  que  je  sots  content  =  I  am  far 

from  being  pleased. 
Tant  s'en  faut  =  Far  from  it. 
Tant  s1  en  faut  gu' au  contraire  =  Qn  the  contrary,  quite 

the  reverse. 
Familiaritd. — Us  vivcnt  dans  la  plus  grande  familiarite  = 

They  are  on  the  most  familiar  terms. 
Famille. — Ou  peut-on  etre  mieux  qu'au  sein  de  sa  famille? 

=  There  is  no  place  like  home. 
Unfils  defamille  =  K  gentleman's  son. 

Famine. — L'imprevoyante  cigale  criait  famine  =  The  im- 
provident grasshopper  complained  of  the  hardness 
of  the  times. 
Fantaisie. — Objets  defantaisie  =  Fancy  articles. 

S'il  vous  en  prend  fantaisie  =  If  you  take  a  fancy  to  it. 
Farce. — Le  jeune  coquin  fait  ses  farces  =  The  young  rascal 

is  sowing  his  wild  oats. 
Vous  avez  fait  la  une  vilaine  farce  =  You  have  been 

playing  a  bad  trick. 

Farine. — D'un  sac  a  charbon  il  ne  saurait  sortir  blanche 
farine  =  You  can't  make  a  silk  purse  out  of  a  sow's 
ear. — What  can  you  expect  from  a  pig  but  a  grunt  ? 
FastidieilX.* — -fadmets  que  I'ouvrage  en  question  est  un 
peu  fastidieux,  mats  convenez  aussi  que  vous  etes  assez 
difficile  =\  admit  that  the  work  in  question  is  some- 
what tedious ;  but  you  must  also  acknowledge  that 
you  are  rather  fastidious. 


*  I  have  introduced  this  sentence  to  bring  in  juxtaposition  the  French 
fastidieitx  and  the  English  "fastidious,"  two  words  the  similitude  of 
which  is  calculated  to  mislead.  Both  come  from  the  L,a.{infast/diosus, 
which  supplies  equally,  as  may  be  seen  in  Horace,  the  notion  of  disgust 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        193 

Fatigue. — Nos  troupiers  sont  rompns  a  la  fatigue  =  Our 

troopers  are  accustomed  to  fatigue. 
Un  habit  de  fatigue  =  A  working-coat. 
Des  souliers  de  fatigue  =  Shoes  for  bad  weather. 
Faucher. — Le  temps  fauche  tout  =  Time  destroys  every- 
thing. 

SC  Faufiler. — //  se  faufile  partout  =  He  creeps  in  every- 
where. 
Fausser. — N'allez  pas  nous  fausser  compagn'ie'-  Don't  give 

us  the  slip. 

Faute. — -^  qui  la  faute  ?  =  Whose  fault  is  it? 
Unefaute  d1  inattention  -  A  slip. 
Une  faute  d 'impression  =  A  misprint. 
//  ne  se  fait  pas  faute  d'en  prendre  =  He  helps  himself 

freely. 
//  a  echoue,  faute  d'appui  =  He   failed   for  want   of 

support. 

Faute  de  mieux  =  For  want  of  anything  better. 
Ce  riest  pas  faute  de  demander  =  It  is  not  for  want  of 

asking. 

Venez  sans  faute  =  Come  without  fail. 
Pourquoi  rejeter  la  faute  sur  lui  1  =  Why  lay  the  fault 

at  his  door  ? 

Faux. — -Jouer,  chanter  faux  —  To  play,  to  sing  out  of  tune. 
C'etait  unefausse  manoeuvre  =  That  was  a  wrong  move. 
fai  fait  un  faux  pas  en  sortant=\  stumbled  in  going 

out. 
Vous  avez  fait  unfaux  pas  en  vous  adressant  a  eux  — 

You  made  a  blunder  in  applying  to  them. 
Je  crains  Men  qu'il  ne  fasse  fausse  route  =  I  am  much 
afraid  he  is  on  the  wrong  track,  going  the  wrong 
way  to  work. 


imparted  and  that  of  disgust  experienced.  The  radical  divergence 
between  the  two  modern  epithets  is  so  far  explained  by  that  twofold 
acceptation  of  their  Latin  root.  In  fact,  the  French  fastidieux  corre- 
sponds to  the  active  sense  of  fastidiosus,  and  means  wearisome,  of  a 
nature  to  provoke  ennui,  whilst  the  English  "fastidious"  corresponds 
to  its  passive  sense,  and  means  disdainful,  hard  to  please,  of  a  disposi- 
tion to  feel  or  to  affect  ennui. 

VOL.  I.  N 


194       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Cette  table  porte  a  faux  =  This  table  does  not  rest  even. 
Vos  objections  portent  a  faux  =  Your  objections  are  not 

at  all  to  the  point. 
//  plaide  le  faux  pour  savoir  le  vrai  =  He  seeks    to 

extract  the  truth  by  asserting  a  falsehood. 
II  est  faux  comme  un  jeton  =  He  is  as  false  as  a  brass 

shilling. 
Ne  nous  faites  pas  faux  bond=  [See  BOND.] 

//  est  de  faux  devots,  ainsi  que  de  faux  braves  = 

[MOLIERE.] 

There  are  men  who  put  on  a  show  of  devotion  as 

others  put  on  a  show  of  bravery. 

Ce  n 'est pas  moi  qui  nfinscrirai  en  faux  contre  ce  juge- 
ment=\  am  not  the  man  to  protest  against  such  a 
verdict. 
Faux-fuyant. — Ce  subtil  faux-fuy ant  merite  qu'on  le  loue  = 

[MOLIERE.] 

This  subtle  subterfuge  deserves  to  be  praised 
[literally,  A  by-path  through  which  one  can  go 
unobserved.] 

F616. — Les  pots  fe  les  sont  ceux  qui  durent  le  plus  =  Ailing 

folks  live  the  longest.     A  creaking  door  lasts  very 

long. 
Femme. — //  descend  de  Coligny  par  les  femmes  =  He  is  a 

descendant  of  Coligny  in  the  female  line. 
C'est  une  maitresse  femme  =  She  is  a  superior  woman. 
Un  conte  de  bonne  femme  =  An  old  woman's  story. 
II  faut  chercher  une  femme  avec  les  oreilles  plutot  qtfavec 

les  yeux  =  A  wife  must  be  sought  for  her  good  name 

rather  than  for  her  good  looks. 
Prends  le  premier  conseild1  une  femme,  et  non  le  second*  = 

Instinct  is  a  better  guide  in  a  woman  than  reflection. 

*  "A  proverb  of  much  wisdom,"  says  Dr.  Trench  {Proverbs  and 
their  Lessons,  p.  86)  ;  "  for  in  processes  of  reasoning,  out  of  which  the 
second  counsels  would  spring,  women  may  and  will  be  inferior  to  us ; 
but  in  intuitions,  in  moral  intuitions  above  all,  they  surpass  us  far ;  they 
have  what  Montaigne  ascribes  to  them  in  a  remarkable  word,  F  esprit 
primesautier,  the  leopard's  spring,  which  takes  its  prey,  if  it  be  to  take 
it  at  all,  at  the  first  bound." 


FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        195 

Ce  quefemme  veut,  Dieu  k  veut  =  Woman's  will  is  most 
tenacious. 

Souvent  femme  varie, 
Bien  fol  est  qui  Jy  fie  *  = 

Between  a  woman's  yes  or  no, 
There  is  no  room  for  a  pin  to  go. 

La  langue  des  femmes  est  leur  epee,  et  elles  ne  la  laissent 
pas  rouiller  -  A  woman's  tongue  is  her  sword,  and 
she  doesn't  let  it  rust. 

Femme  qui  park  latin, 
Soleil  qui  luit  tard  an  matin, 
Et  enfant  nourri  de  vtn, 
Ne  viennent  a  bonne  fin  f  = 

A  woman  that  talks  Latin,  the  sun  that  shines  late 
in  the  morning,  and  a  child  brought  up  on  wine, 
come  to  no  good  end. 

Qui  de  femme  honnete  est  s'epare  d'un  don  divin  est 
prive  =  There  is  no  greater  misfortune  for  a  man 
than  to  be  parted  from  an  honest  wife. 
Maison  sans  femme,  corps  sans  ame  =  A  house  without 

a  woman  is  a  body  without  a  soul. 
On  ne  se  doute  pas  de  ce  qdil  peut  tenir  d' argent  dans 
la  main  d'une  femme,  surtout  quand  cette  main  est 
petite •=  [MEILHAC.] 

You  cannot  imagine  how  much  money  a  woman's 
hand  can  hold,  especially  when  that  hand  is  a 
small  one. 
Le  diabk  bat  sa  femme  =  It  rains  and  the  sun  shines  at 

the  same  time. 
Femme  en  puissance  de  mari  [legal]  =  Feme-covert. 


*  King  Francis  I.  is  credited  with  the  origin  of  this  often -quoted 
proverb.  It  is  stated,  and  we  have  Brantome's  authority  for  the  state- 
ment, that  while  talking  with  his  sister,  Marguerite  d'Angouleme,  about 
the  fickleness  of  women,  his  Majesty  actually  engraved  the  saying  with 
his  own  hand  on  one  of  the  stained  glass  windows  of  the  Castle  of 
Chambord,  using  the  diamond  of  his  ring  for  the  purpose. 

t  I  think  it  right  to  state  that  I  do  not  endorse  any  of  the  above 
ungallant  maxims  about  women.  I  content  myself  with  recording  them 
for  the  sake  of  completeness. 


196       FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Pendant. — 11  fait  le  fendant  =  He   swaggers;  He  is  a 
bully. 

Fendre. — Nous  avonsfendu  lapresse  =  VJ&  broke  through 

the  crowd. 

//  a  gele  cette  nuit  a  pierre  fendre  =  It  froze  very  hard 
last  night. 

Fenetre. — Iljette  son  bien  par  les  fenetres  -  He  squanders 

his  fortune. 

II  faut  passer  par  la  ou  par  lafenetre  =  It  must  be  so  ; 
there  is  no  alternative. 

Fer. — //  a  toujours  quelque  fer  qui  loche  =  There  is  always 

a  screw  loose,  something  amiss  with  him. 
On  lui  a  mis  les  fers  aux  pieds  et  aux  mains  =  He  was 

fettered  hand  and  foot. 

//  a  une  sante  defer=  He  has  a  strong  constitution. 
On  n*  est  pas  de fer  =  One  is  not  made  of  iron;  There 

is  a  limit  to  human  strength. 
//  faut  battre  le  fer  pendant  qtfil  est  chaud  =  [See 

BATTRE.] 
II  faut  mettre  les  fers  aufeu  =  We  must  fall  stoutly  to 

work. 
Cela  tie  vaut  pas  les  quatre  fers  d'un  chien  =  It  is  not 

worth  a  fig  (a  dog  not  being  shod.) 
Ilesttombe  les  quatre  fers  en  /'#*>=  He  fell  on  his  back 

— the  heels  uppermost. 

Cette  affaire  ne  tient  ni  a  fer  ni  a  clou  —  That  busi- 
ness   has    been    badly    settled  ;    has    been    done 

loosely. 
Quand  on  quitte  les  marechaux,  on  pay e  les  vieux  fers  = 

Before   employing   new  tradesmen,   the    old    ones 

should  be  paid  off. 

FeYir. — Sans  coup  ferir  -  Without  striking  a  blow.     [See 
note  on  SANS.] 

Ferre". — //  est  ferr'e   a  glace   sur  la  geometric  =  He    is 

thoroughly  conversant  with  geometry. 
C'est  un  avaleur  de  charrettes  ferr'ees  =  He  is  a  fire- 
eater. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        197 

Fesse-Mathieu.* — C'estunfesse-mathieu  =  He  is  a  regular 
skin-flint. 

Vous  avez,  dit-on  mcme,  acquis  en  phis  d'un  lieu 
Le  titre  d'usurier  et  de  Fesse-Matliieu  = 

[REGNARD.] 

They  even  say  that  you  have  acquired  in  more  than 
one  place  the  title  of  usurer  and  of  skin-flint. 

Fete. — -Je  me  fais  une  fete  de  les  recevoir=\  look  forward 

with  great  pleasure  to  their  visit. 
//  ne  s'etait  jamais  vu  a  pareille  fete  =  He  had  never 

come  in  for  such  luck. 
Ce  riest  pas  tous  les  jours  fete  =  Christmas  comes  round 

but  once  a  year. 
Aux  bonnes  fetes  les  bons  coups  =  The  better  the  day,  the 

better  the  deed. 
La  fete  passee,  adieu  le  saint  =  The  saint's  day  over, 

farewell  the  saint ! 

Feu. — Au  feu  1  atifeu  !  —  Fire  !  fire  ! 

21  se  mettrait  au  feu  pour  les  servir  =  He  would  go 

through  the  fire  to  serve  them. 
J'en  mettrais  ma  main  au  feu  =  I  would  swear  to  it. 
Us  lefont  mourir  a  petit  feu  =  They  are  killing  him  by 

inches. 


*  Fcsse- Mathieu.  Here  is,  quantum  valeat,  an  explanation  of  this 
odd  expression  : 

Before  his  conversion,  the  Apostle  St.  Matthew  was  a  publican,  and 
in  that  capacity  he  made  large  profits,  as  is  the  case  to  this  day  in  that 
corporation.  Thus  it  came  to  be  said  of  an  usurer,  II  fait  Saint  Mathieu. 
In  the  course  of  lime,  and  in  conformity  with  the  usual  drift  of  things, 
the  saying  got  popularly  corrupted  into  fesse-mathieu.  It  is  in  that 
form  that  it  has  come  down  to  us,  and  the  very  disparaging  term  is 
now  constantly  employed  to  designate  those  people  who  make  an  illicit 
profit  with  their  money.  The  epithet  is  also  applied  now  to  stingy 
people. 

M.  Edouard  Thierry,  however,  traces  the  expression  to  a  memorial 
festival  of  the  Middle  Ages  called  Fete  Mathieu,  when  a  kind  of  large 
wooden  cash-box,  called  "la  caisse  de  Saint  Mathieu,"  was  carried  in 
the  procession  to  collect  the  contributions  of  magistrates  and  others. 
The  lookers-on  would  say,  "  Here  come  the  fete-mathieu  ; "  and  eventu- 
?\\y  fesse-mathieu  was  substituted  by  some  "gavroche"  of  the  period, 
as  those  things  invariably  happen. 


198        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

//  n'ajamais  vu  Sefeu  =  He  never  smelt  gunpowder. 

//  n'a  ni  feu  ni  lieu  =  He  has  neither  house  nor 
home. 

La  campagne  engagee  a  si  grand  fracas  contre  la  Chambre 
des  Lords  semble  avoir  fait  long  feu  =  The  campaign 
begun  with  so  much  noise  against  the  House  of 
Lords  seems  to  have  completely  miscarried. 

Us  ont  mis  tout  le  pays  a  feu  et  a  sang  =  They  put  the 
whole  country  to  fire  and  sword. 

Nous  tirons  trap  souvent  les  marrons  du  feu  pour  les 
autres  pays  =  VJo.  too  often  pull  the  chestnuts  out  of 
the  fire  for  the  benefit  of  other  countries. 

Cela  a  mis  lefeu  aux  etoufes=[See  ETOUPE.] 

Ce  discours  mit  le  feu  aux  poudres  =  That  speech  pro- 
voked a  great  uproar. 

//  ne  faut  pas  jouer  avec  le  feu  =  One  should  not  play 
with  edge  tools. 

Je  n'y  at  vu  que  du  feu  =  I  was  so  dazzled  that  I  saw 
nothing. 

Le  public  riy  a  vu  que  du  feu  =  The  public  could  make 
nothing  of  it. 

11  ajetefeu  etflamme  =  ^Q  flew  into  a  passion. 

Get  ecrivain  semble  avoir  jete  tout  son  feu  =  This  writer 
seems  to  be  used  up. 

Fairefeu  qui  dure  =  To  be  sparing  of  one's  resources. 

On  compte  cent  feux  dans  ce  village  —  There  are  one 
hundred  houses  in  this  village. 

Lefeu  le  plus  couvert  est  le  plus  ardent  =  In  the  coldest 
flint  there  is  hot  fire.  Still  waters  run  deep. 

Ce  n'est  qu'un  feu  de  paille  =  It  is  a  mere  flash  in  the 
pan. 

La  troupe  a  fait  feu  =  The  soldiers  fired. 

//  n'y  a  point  de  fumee  sans  feu,  ni  de  feu  sans  fumee  = 
There  is  no  smoke  without  some  fire. 

Faites  dufeu  dans  le  salon  —  Light  a  fire  in  the  drawing- 
room. 

//  n'est  feu  que  de  gros  bois  =  No  serious  business  can 
be  done  without  capital.  [See  Bois.] 

//  n'est  feu  que  de  bois  verf=The  energy  of  youth  is 
often  useful. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        199 

Le  jeune  Napoleon,  nous  dit  k  po^te,  etait  de  feu  pour 

ralgebre  et  de  glace  pour  le  latin  *  =  Napoleon,  when 

a  boy,  the  poet  tells  us,  was  all  fire  for  algebra  and 

all  ice  for  Latin. 
Se  Jeter  dans  le  feu  pour  eviter  lafumee  -  To  jump  out 

of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire. 
Si  Pon  n'est  pas  brule  par  le  feu,  ou  est  noirci  par  la 

fumee  =  Bad  company  is  so  far  fatal,  that  if  you 

escape  being  contaminated,  you  do  get  your  fair 

name  blackened. 
Mon  jo li petit  chien  est  marque  defeu  =  M.y  pretty  little 

dog  is  tan-spotted. 
Feuille.—  Limprimeur  a  tire  pour  moi  une  bonne  feuille  - 

The  printer  struck  off  a  fair  sheet  for  me. 
Elle  tremble  comme  une  feuille  =  She  trembles  like  an 

aspen-leaf. 
Feve. — //  a  trouv'e  lafeve  an  gateau  =  He  has  made  a  lucky 

discovery.     He  has  hit  the  mark. 
Fi. — Pourquoi  enfairefi  ?  -  Why  turn  up  your  nose  at  it  ? 

Adieu,  done.     Fi  du  plaisir 
Que  la  crainte  peut  corrompre  !  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 
Farewell,  then !     Away  with  the  pleasure  that  fear 

can  spoil. 
Oh,  le  Ttlain  t  fi  done  !  =  Oh,  the  naughty  boy  !     For 

shame ! 
Ficelle. — II  connait  toutes  lesficelles  du  metier-  He  knows 

all  the  tricks  of  the  trade. 

Fiche.— Oest  une  fiche  de  consolation  =  It  is  a  little  bit  of 
comfort. 


A  getwux  I  cl  genoux !  an  milieu  de  la  classe, 

L' enfant  mutin, 
Dont  r esprit  est  defeu  pour  ralgebre,  et  de  glace 

Pour  le  latin  ! 

A  in  si  par  la  it  le  matt  re  a  Celeve  indocile ; 

Car  Pecolier 
Etait  dn  petit  nombre  ardent  et  difficile 

A  se  plier.  — A.  DE  BEAUCHESNE. 


200       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS 

Fichu.* — Un  fichu  drole  =  h.r\  awful  rascal. 

Fieff£. —  Cest  un  fripon  fieffe  -  He  is  an  arrant  knave. 

Fier.t — Fiercomme  un  Ecossais  =  As  proud  as  a  Scotchman. 
Fier  comme  Artaban  \  =  As  proud  as  a  peacock. 


*  Un  fichu  drolt ;  une  fichue  corvt?e=An  awful  rascal;  a  wretched 
job.  This  word  fichu,  which  properly  designates  a  small  article  of 
female  attire,  a  "neckerchief,"  is  also  a  low  term,  which,  however,  is 
too  commonly  used  not  to  find  its  place  in  this  work. 

I  will  venture  to  relate  here  an  anecdote  as  an  ft  tide  de  maurs,  and  at 
the  same  time  as  an  illustration  of  the  exact  bearing  of  this  questionable 
word.  During  the  latter  days  of  the  Second  Empire,  the  fashion  pre- 
vailed, in  and  out  of  France,  of  ladies'  evening  dresses  being  made 
extremely  long  at  the  bottom,  whilst  par  centre  they  were  open  extremely 
low  at  the  top  (which  once  made  Archbishop  Whately  remark  at  Dublin 
that  he  had  never  seen  anything  of  the  kind  since  he  had  a  wet  nurse  !) 
At  an  official  ball  in  Paris,  a  "  lady  "  wearing  such  a  dress  got  it  trodden 
upon  by  a  gentleman,  who  most  assuredly  couldn't  help  it.  The  in- 
censed dame  turned  round  upon  the  unlucky  party,  exclaiming  loudly 
and  fiercely  :  "Fichu  maladroit,  va  1 "  The  gentleman,  who  was  one  (to 
my  personal  knowledge),  quietly  retorted:  "J^ot/a  un  fichu,  Madame, 
qui  serait  bien  niieux  a  sa  place  sur  vos  epaules  que  dans  votre  bouche  !  " — 
a  splendid  thrust,  it  must  be  admitted,  and  a  capital  specimen  of  aouble 
entente. 

t  Fier  comme  un  £cossais.  This  saying,  not  of  very  common  use 
now,  does  not  apply  to  the  Scotch  community,  of  which  I  for  one,  as 
indeed  all  French  people,  can  only  think  and  speak  with  special  respect. 
It  is  an  old  proverb,  which  simply  refers  to  the  Archers  of  the  old  Scotch 
Guard,  whom  Louis  XI.  (1461-1483)  loaded  with  favours.  This  Scotch 
company  (composed  more  or  less  exclusively  of  Caledonians)  having 
become  the  most  ancient  of  the  four  companies  which  formed  the  body- 
guard of  our  French  kings,  its  members  came  to  look  upon  themselves 
as  superior  to  the  others.  Hence  the  proverb,  which  we  find  recorded 
in  Rabelais  (1483-1553)  :  "  Mais  d'aultres  pays  sont  ici  venus  ne  S9avons 
quels  oultrecuydez,  fiers  comme  Escossoys." — RABELAIS,  livre  v.  chap.i<). 

J  Fier  comme  Artaban.  The  hero  of  this  rather  popular  saying  is 
Artaban,  king  of  Parthia,  the  last  of  the  Arsacides.  After  having  been 
vanquished  by  Caracalla  (A.D.  217),  he  made  peace  on  very  favourable 
terms  with  that  Emperor's  successor,  and  was  so  elated  at  what  he 
considered  a  triumph  that  he  took  a  double  diadem  and  proudly  assumed 
the  title  of  Great  King. 

Some  fourteen  centuries  later,  Artaban's  name  was  brought  before  the 
public  by  a  romance  of  Macllle.  de  Scuderi  (1607-1 701 ),  called  Arlamene, 
ou  le  Grand  Cyrus,  wherein  the  same  Artaban  is  made  to  play  a  rather 
bombastic  part,  which,  of  course,  did  not  escape  Boileau's  severe 
criticism.  The  expression  Fier  comme  Artaban  may,  therefore,  date 
only  from  this  later  period. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS       2OI 

Elle  a  eu  unefierepeur='Sh&  was  terribly  frightened. 
C'est  egal)  il  faut  un  fier  toupet  pour  avancer  pareille 

cfiose='We\l,  it  takes  a  deal  of  impudence  to  put 

forth  such  a  statement. 
Fiert&* — 11  en  est  qui  dans  leur  mepris  de  la  fierte  etalent 

une  fierte  encore  plus  grande  —  There  are  some  who 

despise  pride  with  a  greater  pride. 

Fifcvre. — C'est  unefi^vre  de  cheval=\\.  is  a  violent  fever. 
Tomber  de  fievre  en  chaud  mal—  To  fall  out  of  the 

frying-pan  into  the  fire. 
Figue. — Moiti'e  figues,  moitie  raisins  =  Half  in  jest,  half  in 

earnest. 
I  Is  ri  oseront  pas  faire  /afigue  =  They  will  not  dare  show 

contempt. 
Fil. — Ce  sont  des  finesses  cousues  de  fil  blanc  =  Those  are 

tricks  easily  seen  through. 
Nous  leur  donnerons  du  fil  a  re/ordre  =  \Ve  will  cut  out 

work  for  them.     We  will  give  them  some  trouble. 
Us  suivent  le  fil  de  feau  =  They  swim  with  the  stream. 
I  Is  ont  renoue  le  fil  de  V  intrigue  =  They  gathered  up  the 

broken  threads  of  the  intrigue. 
Cela  n'a  tenu  qu'a  un  fil—  It  hung  only  by  a  thread. 
Defil  en  aiguille  =  From  one  subject  to  another. 
//  if  est  pas  prudent  dialler  de  droit  fil  contre  le  sentiment 

connu  de  pareils  homines  -•  It  is  not  safe  to  go  straight 

against  the  known  views  of  such  men. 

*  //  en  est  qui  dans  leur  mepris  de  la  fierte  etalent  une  fierte  encore 
plus  grande ;  "  Tal  sprezza  la  stiperbia  con  una  maggior  superbia"  is 
an  Italian  proverb,  which,  as  Dr.  Trench  judiciously  remarks,  might 
almost  seem  to  have  been  founded  on  the  story  of  Diogenes,  who, 
treading  under  his  feet  a  rich  carpet  of  Plato's,  exclaimed  :  "Thus  I 
trample  on  the  ostentation  of  Plato  ; " — "  With  an  ostentation  of  thine 
own,"  was  the  other's  excellent  retort ;  even  as  on  another  occasion  he 
observed,  with  admirable  wit,  that  he  saw  the  pride  of  the  Cynic  peep- 
ing through  the  rents  of  his  mantle  :  for  indeed  pride  can  array  itself 
quite  as  easily  in  rags  as  in  purple  ;  can  affect  squalors  as  earnestly  as 
splendours ;  the  lowest  place  and  the  last  is  of  itself  no  security  at  all 
for  humility,  and  out  of  a  sense  of  this  we  very  well  have  said  :  As 
proud  go  behind  as  before. 

To  this  I  would  add  :  Who  can  imagine  that  the  indecorous  blouse  of 
a  certain  late  Socialist  deputy  of  the  present  time  was  a  token  of  humility? 


202        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Filer. — II  faut filer  [familiar]  =  We  must  be  off. 

II  ajug'e  a  propos  de  filer  doux  =  'H.e  thought  proper  to 

lower  his  tone. 
Le  temps  et  r  argent  filent  vite  =  Time  and  money  vanish 

rapidly. 

Ilsfilent  leparfait  amour  =  They  are  passionately  in  love. 

Du  temps  que  Berthe  filait  [i.e.,  quand  les  princesses 

s'occupaient  de  travaux  manuels\  =  In  the  good  old 

times. 

Filet. — I  In' a  pas  le  filet ;  11  a  eu  le  filet  bien  coupe  =  He 

has  a  well-oiled  tongue ;  He  is  not  tongue-tied. 
Un  filet  de  vinaigre  =  A  dash  of  vinegar. 
Fille. — Fille  oisive  a  mal  pensive  =  An  idle  brain  is  the 

devil's  workshop. 
La  plus  belle  fille  du  monde  ne  pent  donnerque  ce  qu'elle  a 

=  No  one  can  give  more  than  he  has. 

Fillette. — Bonjour  lunettes,  adieu  fillettes  =  A  spectacled  old 
party  should  give  up  doing  the  gallant. 

Fils. — En  republique  on  favorise  generalement  les  hommes 
qui  sont  les  fils  de  leurs  ceuvres  =  In  a  republic  self- 
made  men  are  generally  favoured. 
C'estbien  lefils  de  sonpere  =  He  is  a  chip  of  the  old  block. 

Fin  [Subst.]. — La  fin  couronne  Pcsuvre  —  All's  well  that  ends 
well. 

Cela  serf  a  plusieurs  fins  =  That  answers  several  pur- 
poses. 

On  n'en  voit  pas  /aj£#  =  There  is  no  end  of  it. 

X  telle  fin  que  de  raison  =  At  all  events ;  For  such 
purpose  as  may  be  required. 

Qui  veut  la  fin,  veut  les  moyens  —  If  you  want  the  end 
you  must  use  the  means. 

La  fin,  disent  les  cyniques,  justifie  les  moyens  =  The 
object  in  view,  the  cynics  say,  justifies  the  means 
employed. 

En  toute  chose  ilfaut  considerer  la  fin  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

We  should  always  look  ahead — think  of  the  con- 
sequences. 


FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS       203 

Je  touche  a  la  fin  de  mes  peines  —  My  troubles  will  soon 
be  over. 

77  a  tout  fait  pour  arriver  a  ses  fins—  He  left  no  stone 
unturned  to  gain  his  point. 

Je  ne  doute  pas  gu'il  ne  mine  V affaire  a  bonne  fin  =  I 
have  no  doubt  he  will  succeed  in  his  enterprise. 

II  a  promts  de  payer  fin  courant  =1^.0,  promised  to  pay 
at  the  end  of  the  present  month. 

II  a  fait  une  belle  fin  =  He  died  a  glorious  death. 

Telle  vie,  tellefin  —•  As  they  live,  so  they  die. 

A  la  fin  ;  a  la  fin  desfins  =  K\.  last. 

Une  fin  de  non-recevoir  [legal]  =  A  plea  for  the  non- 
acceptance  of  the  adversary's  demand. 

Fin  [Adj.]. — Us  savent  le  fort  et  le  fin  de  I'1  affaire  =  They 

know  the  long  and  the  short  of  the  affair. 
Fin  contre  fin  fait  mauvaise  doublure  =  Diamond  cut 

diamond. 

Le  fin  mot  d*une  affaire  =  The  secret  of  a  thing. 
C'est  un  fin  matois,  un  fin  renard=  He  is  a  shrewd 

fellow,  a  cunning  old  fox. 
Plus  fin  que  lui  n'est  pas  bete  =  He  is  no  fool,  far 

from  it. 

Us  jmiaient  au  plus  fin  ^"^^^  vied  in  cunning. 
I  Is  etaient  en  partie  fine  =  They  had  got  up  a  secret 

pleasure  party. 

Une  pluie  fine  =  A  drizzling  rain. 
Le  fin  fond  de  la  mer  =  The  very  bottom  of  the  sea. 
Un  fin  gourmet  =  A  good  judge  of  wine. 
//  a  P  oreille  fine  =  He  has  sharp  ears. 
On  nous  represente  ce  systbne  politique  comme  le  fin  du 

fin  =  They  would  have  us  consider  that  political 

system  as  the  very  acme  of  sagacity. 

Financer. — On  leferafinancer=  They'll  make  him  come 
down  with  his  money  [familiarly,  They'll  make  him 
fork  out.] 

Finesse. — Puissent  mes  lecteurs  etre  en  train  de  se  penetrer 
des  finesses  idiomatiques  de  la  langue  fran$aise !  = 
May  my  readers  be  in  the  way  of  mastering  the 
idiomatic  niceties  of  the  French  language  ! 


204        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Finir. — Tout  est  bien  qui  finit  Men  —  All's  well  that  ends 

well. 
Qui  bien  engrene  bien  finit  =  He  who  begins  well  ends 

well. 

Finissez  done  =  Have  done. 
//  a  fini par  consentir=  He  consented  at  last. 
C'est  a  ri en  plus  finir=  It  is  endless. 
As-tu  fini  tes  manures  ?  [familiar]  =  What  do  you  mean 

by  it?     Have  done  with  your  nonsense. 
Fixe.— Le  barometre  est  au  beau  fixe  =\$QQ  BEAU.] 

— -Je  suis  fixe  sur  son  compte  =  I  know  what  to  think 
of  him. 

. — C'est  une  affaire  flambee  =  The  affair  has  fallen 
through — is  a  failure. 
llestftambi—TA&  is  a  ruined  man. 
Mon  argent  estflambe=  My  money  is  lost. 
Flamberge. — Us  ont  mis  les  flamberges  au  w«/  =  They 

drew  the  sword. 
Flamme. — Porter  le  fer  et  la  flamme  dans  un  pays  —  To 

waste  a  country  with  fire  and  sword. 
Flanc. — Elle  pr£te  le  flanc  au  ridicule  =  She  lays  herself 

open  to  ridicule. 

Je  suis  sur  le  flanc  =  I  am  laid  up. 
Us  sont  la  qui  se  battent  les  flancs  =  There  they  are 

contriving  and  striving. 
Par  le  flanc  droit  t     Par  le  flanc  gauche  t  =  To  the 

right  about !     To  the  left  about ! 

Flanquer. — Si  ce  gamin  vous  ennuie,  flanquez-le  a  la  porte 

[familiar]  =  If  that  urchin  bothers  you,  turn  him  out. 

//  lui  aflanqu'e  une gifle  [familiar]  =  He  gave  him  a  box 

on  the  ear. 

Flatteur. — Tout  flatteur  vit  aux  depens  de  celui  qui  Pecoute 
=  All  flatterers  live  at  the  expense  of  their  listeners. 
Fl&che. — line  sait plus  de  quelbois  fairefleche  =  [See  Bois.] 
II  en  est  reduit  a  fairefleche  de  tout  bois  =  He  is  put  to 

the  last  shifts. 

Tout  bois  n'est  pas  bon  a  faire  fleche  =  You  cannot  get 
blood  out  of  a  post. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        205 

Fleur. — C^est  la  fine  fleur  de  la  ville=I\.  is  the  cream  of 

the  town. 
Les  hirondelles  volent  a  fleur  de  terre  =  Swallows  fly 

close  to  the  ground. 
Je  me  rappelle  bien  les  yeux  a  fleur  de  tete  du  vieux 

monsieur  =  I  well  recollect  the  goggle-eyes  of  the  old 

gentleman. 
L?  affaire  a  passe  a  fleur  de  corde  =  The  thing  was  carried 

after  a  hard  struggle. 

Dans  la  fleur  de  I' age  —  In  the  prime  of  life. 
On  park  de  lui  comme  de  la  fleur  des  pots  —  He  is 

spoken  of  as  the  very  pink  of  dandies. 

Fleurette.* — Conterfleurettes^^Q  say  pretty  things.     To 
talk  amorous  nonsense. 

Certes,  pour  un  amant,  lafleurette  est  mignonne, 
Et  vous  me  traitez  la  de  gentille  personne  = 

[MOLIERE,  Le  Misanthrope.] 

Surely,  for  a  lover  this  is  a  pretty  love-speech,  and 
you  do  treat  me  as  a  lady. 


*  Confer  Jleurettes.  I  incline  with  some  philologists  to  trace  fleurette 
to  the  old  verb  fleureter,  which  occurs  in  Philippe  de  Commines  with 
the  meaning  of  "  to  talk  nonsense."  Fleurette  may  well  indeed,  like 
fleur,  stand  for  a  "  pretty  little  thing,"  and  we  actually  find  an  analogous 
expression  in  the  Latin  Rosas  loqui,  which  can  even  be  traced  to  the 
Greeks. 

I  venture  further  to  think  that  this  old  vrordfaureter  may  do  duty  as 
the  root  of  the  English  verb  "to  flirt,"  notwithstanding  Dr.  John 
Ogilvie's  idea — an  unpleasant  one — of  connecting  both  the  verb  "to 
flirt"  and  the  corresponding  noun  with  "fleer"  or  "leer." — OGILVIE'S 
Student's  Dictionary,  p.  270. 

I  would  add  that  if  my  above  suggestion  holds  good,  the  English 
verb  "  to  flirt,"  thus  traced  to  a  French  origin,  would  supply  in  its 
recent  French  adaptation  as  fiirter  (so  familiar  now  to  the  readers  of 
the  Figaro  and  other  joitrnaux  mondains]  one  of  many  instances  of  an 
old  French  word  returning  to  its  original  home  after  having  played 
truant,  and  assumed  a  foreign  garb  for  centuries. 

A  propos  of  this  French  adaptation  of  "to  flirt,"  I  cannot  help 
lamenting  the  growing  tendency  to  introduce  a  string  of  exotic  words 
thoroughly  superfluous  in  our  splendid  language,  universally  and  justly 
admired  by  all  unbiassed  critics  as  so  clear  and  so  neat,  and  I  have 
the  weakness  to  think,  so  perfectly  adequate  to  all  requirements.  That 
such  English  words  as  spleen,  as  humour,  as  steeplechase,  and  all  of  a 


206        FRENCH    AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Floras. — //  fait  flores  =  He  is  getting  on  well.      He  is 
cutting  a  dash. 

Plot. — //  a  Hen  du  mal  a  se  remettre  a  flot  = He  finds  it 

hard  work  to  set  himself  up  again. 
A  longs  flots  =  Copiously. 

Flute. —  Accordez  vos  flutes  =  Settle  the  matter  between 

you. 

Ce  qui  vient  par  la  flute  s'en  retourne  au  son  du  tambour 
=  Lightly  come,  lightly  go. 

Fluter. — lls  flutent  Men    [familiar]  =  They   are    regular 
tipplers. 

like  national  character,  should  be  introduced  in  their  national  garb  into 
French,  that  is  all  very  natural  and  legitimate  ;  but  what  is  the  need  of 
interlarding  our  prose  with  those  new-fangled  nouns  "une  interview," 
"des  interviewers,"  and  the  verb  "interviewer,"  which  certainly  do  look 
and  sound  rather  barbarous  ?  And  I  ask  the  youthful  contributors  of 
the  Gmilois  and  its  fellows,  why  affect  to  speak  of  "  le  grand  hall " 
when  we  have  halle  and  salle,  which  mean  just  the  same  thing,  whilst 
— I  make  bold  to  remark — not  one  French  person  in  a  thousand  could 
contrive,  or  would  even  attempt,  to  pronounce  a  T  Anglaise,  with  the 
requisite  English  aspiration  of  its  h,  this  unwelcome  intruder?  A 
Parisian  speaking  of  "le  hall  St.  Lazare,"  in  preference  to  the  graphic 
Salle  des  Pas  Perdus,  does  seem  to  me  supremely  ridiculous. 

Again,  what  fair  excuse  can  be  adduced  for  the  intrusion  into  French 
of  the  word  "ticket,"  which  is  itself  (like  the  aforesaid  "To  flirt")  a 
deserter  from  France,  that  is,  a  disguised  descendant  of  etiquette  •  I 
was  grieved  to  find  this  runaway  of  olden  times  taken  up  and  publicly 
patronised  in  its  Anglo-Saxon  uniform  by  our  official  world  at  the  time 
of  the  last  Exhibition  (in  1889).  Surely  billet  answers  every  possible 
purpose.  Why,  then,  naturalise  this  foreign  substitute,  whose  patrons 
might  well  be  asked,  in  the  spirit  of  Alceste  : 

"  Sur  quel  fonds  de  nitrite  et  de  vertu  sublime 
Appuyez-vous  en  hii  Fhonnenr  de  votre  estiine  ?  " 

All  such  unnecessary  duplicates  should  be  exorcised,  not  indeed  on 
patriotic  grounds,  which  may  well  be  put  out  of  question  here,  but  for 
the  sake  of  harmony  in  the  language,  and  as  a  protest  against  affectation. 

Equally  objectionable,  of  course,  is  the  introduction  into  English  of 
so  many  foreign  words  or  phrases  which  do  not  express  a  given  idea  or 
fact  more  tersely  or  more  vividly  than  the  equivalent  English  words  or 
phrases  to  which  they  are  preferred.  I  have  always  admired  the  force 
of  Lord  Brougham's  compliment  to  Mr.  Fox,  implied  in  the  statement 
that  the  great  Whig  orator  "shunned  words  borrowed  from  ancient  and 
modern  languages,  and  affected  the  pure  Saxon  tongue." 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS       2O^ 

Fluxion. — Fluxion  de poitrine  =  Inflammation  of  the  lungs. 

Foi.— -Je  n'ajoute  aucune  foi  a  ce  rectt=\  attach  no  credit 

to  that  story. 
Us  rfont  ni  foi  ni  lot  =  They  regard  neither  law  nor 

gospel. 

Oest  un  homme  de  bonne  foi '=  He  is  an  honest  man. 
Mafoit — Ma  foi,  non/  =  Upon  my  word  ! — No,  indeed  ! 
Ce  papier  en  fera  foi '=It  will  be  proved  by  this  paper. 
En  foi  de  quoi=  In  testimony  whereof. 

Foin. — Chercher  line  aiguille  dans  une  botte  de  foin  =  To 

look  for  a  needle  in  a  stack  of  hay. 
Qiiand  il  n'y  a  plus  de  foin  au  ratelier,  les  chevaux  se 
battent  = 

Want  makes  a  strife 
'Tween  man  and  wife. 

//  a  du  foin  dans  ses  bottes  =  He  is  very  well  off. 

C'esf  un  gaillard  qui  a  mis  du  foin  dans  ses  bottes  =  The 

fellow  has  feathered  his  nest. 
Foin  des  facheux  souvenirs !  =  Away  with  the  painful 

recollections. 

Foire. — La  foire  n'est  pas  sur  le  pont=  There  is  no  great 

hurry. 
Us   s'entendent  comme   larrons  en  foire  =  [See   s'EN- 

TENDRE.] 

Fois. —  Une  fois  riest  pas  c0ufame=Qoce  does  not  make  a 
habit.     One  swallow  does  not  make  a  summer. 

Folie. — //  1'aime  a  lafolie=  He  loves  her  to  distraction. 

Fond. — On  ne  peut  faire  fond  sur  ce  qu'il  dit=  No  reliance 

can  be  placed  on  what  he  says. 
La  maison  a  etc  detruite  de  fond  en  comble  =  The  house 

was  burnt  down  to  the  ground. 
//  est  ruine  de  fynd  en  comble  —  He  is  utterly  ruined. 
11  possede  V anglais  a  fond  =  He  is  thoroughly  master  of 

the  English  language. 
L'auteur  avait  fait  fond  sur  le  public  dii  Mardi= 

[F.  SARCEY.] 

The  author  had  relied  on  the  Tuesday  public. 


208        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

La  Commission  veut  alter  au  fond  des  choses  =  The 
Committee  wants  to  sift  the  matter  through. 

Nous  courions  a  fond  de  train  =  We  were  running  at 
full  speed. 

Le  navire  a  etc  coule  a  fond '=  The  ship  got  sunk. 

Jls  ontfail  une  charge  afond=  They  attacked  vigorously. 

Fonde\ — -Je  suis  fonde  a  le  croire  =  \  have  reason,  authority 

to  believe  it. 
Cela  demontre  le  Men  fonde  de  mon  calcul=  [See  BIEN.] 

Fondre. — Lours  a-t-il  dans  les  bois  la  guerre  avec  les  ours  ? 
Le  vautour  dans  les  airsfond-il  surles  vautours  ?  = 

[BOILEAU.] 

Does  the  bear  in  the  woods  wage  war  against  the 
bears  ?  Does  the  vulture  in  the  air  pounce  upon 
the  vultures  ? 

Fonds. — //  a  vendu  son  fonds  de  commerce  =  He  has  sold 

his  business. 

//  a  place  sa  fortune  a  fonds  perdu  =  He  has  sunk  his 
fortune  in  an  annuity. 

Travaillez,  prenez  de  la  peine  : 
C'est  le  fonds  qui  manque  le  mains  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Work  and  take  pains,  it  is  the  safest  investment. 
//  riest  pas  en  fonds  en  ce  moment :=  He  is  hard  up  for 

cash  just  now. 

Biens-fonds  =  Landed  property. 
Le  fonds  social =  The  capital-stock. 

Fontaine. — Ne  dites  jamais :  Fontaine,  je  ne  boirai  pas  de 
ton  eau  —  You  never  know  what  you  may  come  to, 
what  you  may  be  driven  to. 

For. — -Je  suis  persuade  que  vous  pensez  comme  moi  dans 
votre  for  interieur  =\  am  satisfied  you  agree  with  me 
in  your  innermost  thoughts,  in  petto. 

Force. — -Je  ne  suis  pas  de  force  a  hitter  contre  lui=  I  am  no 

match  for  him. 
Vous  rietes  pas  de  cette  force-la  =  You  are  not  up  to  that. 


A 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS       209 

11  est  de  premiere  force  au  cricket  —  He  is  a  first-rate 

cricketer. 
Force  m'a  etc  d'y  renoncer  =  I  was  compelled  to  give 

it  up. 

J*en  veux  a  toute  force  =  I  insist  on  having  some. 
//  faut  a  toute  force  empecher  ce  scandale  =  You  must 

prevent  that  scandal  by  all  means  in  your  power. 
//  leur  a  adresse  force  remerdments  et  compliments  -  He 

showered  thanks  and  compliments  upon  them. 

Moyennant  quoi,  votre  salaire 
Sera  force  reliefs  de  toutes  les  f aeons  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

In  return  for  which,  your  salary  shall  be  no  end  of 
pickings — of  leavings  from  the  table — of  all 
kinds. 

P our  moi,  satisfaisatit  mes  appetits  gloutons> 
J'ai  devore  force  moutons  — 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

As  for  me,  indulging  my  ravenous  appetite, 
I  have  devoured  many  sheep. 

//  faudra  bien  qu'il  consente,  de  gre  ou  de  force  =  He 
shall  have  to  consent,  willingly  or  unwillingly. 

Esperons  que  force  restera  a  la  /<$>/=  Let  us  hope  that 
the  strong  arm  of  law  shall  prevail. 

A  force  de  zele  et  de  travail—  By  dint  of  zeal  and 
industry. 

A  force  de  sagesse  on  pent  &tre  blamable  =      [MOLIERE.] 
Wisdom  may  be  carried  to  an  excess. 

La  force  prime  le  droit  =  Might  is  right. 

Nous  etions  a  bout  de  force  =  We  were  exhausted. 

Ce  trait  est  de  sa  force :  Je  le  reconnais  bien  la  =  That  is 
exactly  like  him. 

C'etait  un  cas  deforce  majeure=\\.  was  a  case  of  abso- 
lute necessity. 

Faire  force  de  voiles — Faire  force  de  rames  =  Literally, 
To  crowd  on  all  sail — To  tug  vigorously  at  the  oar  : 
Figuratively,  To  work  hard,  with  tooth  and  nail. 

A  force  de  temps  et  de  soins  =  With  time  and  attention. 

Elle  a  repris  des  forces =  She  picked  up  strength. 
VOL.  i.  o 


210       FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Us  I'ont  emporte  de  vive  force  =  They  carried  it  by  main 

force. 

Nous  etions  en  force  =  We  mustered  strong. 
Dans  la  force  de  I' age  =  In  the  prime  of  life. 
Un  vrai  tour  deforce  =  A  regular  feat. 

Forcer. — -Je  n'aime  pas  qdon  me  force  ainsi  la  main  —  I  do 
not  like  to  be  thus  driven,  compelled  to  do  a  thing. 

On  a  force  /?/«.$•  =  The  pace  was  quickened. 

On  a  force  la  consigne  =  The  order  was  broken  through. 

L'auteur  a  un  peu  force  la  note  —  The  author  exag- 
gerates slightly. 

Travaux  forces  =  Penal  servitude  [not  hard  labour]  in- 
flicted on  a  convict. 

Forfait. — /'at  traite  a  forfait=\  have  contracted  by  the 
job. 

Forger. — A  force  de  forger  on  devient  forger  on  —  Practice 
makes  all  things  easy. 

Fort. — Dans  le  fort  de  la  melee  =  In  the  thickest  of  the 

fight. 
Dans  le  fort  de  la  colere  il  s'esf  oublie  =  In  the  heat  of 

passion  he  forgot  himself. 
Ne  sortez  pas  au  fort  de  la  chaleur—T)o  not  go  out  in 

the  hottest  time  of  the  day. 
Nous  fimes  voile  au  fort  de  Phiver  —  We  set  sail  in  the 

depth  of  winter. 
Pour  le  coup,  Jest  vraiment  trop  fort — or  emphatically, 

c'est  par  trop  fort ;=  Now •,  this  is  really  too  bad. 
A  plus  forte  raison  -  All  the  more  reason ;  a  fortiori. 
De  plus  en  plus  fort—  Worse  and  worse. 
Voila  qui  est  fort  =  That  is  coming  rather  strong. 
//  est  fort  comme  un  Turc  -  He  is  as  strong  as  a  horse. 
Les  forts  de  la  /£#//<?  =  The  market-porters. 
C'est  une  forte  maison  =  \\.  is  a  large  establishment. 
Fort  de  votre  appui,  il  persevlre  =  Encouraged  by  your 

support,  he  perseveres. 
Un  esprit  fort  -  A  strong-minded  party. 
//  est  trls  fort  sur  Falgebre  =  He  is  well  up  in  algebra. 
Elle  est  forte  musicienne  =  She  is  proficient  in  music. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        211 

Le  pauvre  garfon  n 'est  pas  fort ;=The  poor  fellow  is  not 

bright,  not  up  to  much. 
Te  me  suis  fach'e>  detait  plus  fort  que  moi=  I  got  angry, 

I  could  not  help  it. 
Le  plus  fort  est  fait  =  The  hardest  part  is  done;  the 

worst  is  over. 

//  sait  lefort  et  le  faible  de  r affaire  =  [See  FAIBLE.] 
II y  a  fort  a  faire  pour  en  arriver  la  =  There  is  a  great 

deal  to  do  to  reach  that  point — to  bring  about  that 

result. 
//  se  fait  fort  d'en  venir  a  bout  -  He  undertakes  to 

manage  it. 
II  y  aiirait  fort  a  dire  d'un  cote  comme  de  Vautre  — 

Much  might  be  said  on  both  sides. 

La  raison  du  plus  fort  est  toujours  la  meilleure  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Might  is  right.     Where  force  bears  the  sway,  there 
is  no  room  for  reason. 

Fortune. — Plus  la  fortune  rit,  plus  on  doit  trembler  =  The 
more  fortune  smiles  upon  you,  the  more  you  should 
tremble. 

II  faut  faire  contre  mauvaise  fortune  bon  c£eur=We 
must  bear  up  against  ill-luck — make  the  best  of  a 
bad  bargain. 

Venez  done  diner  avec  nous  a  la  fortune  du  pot  —  Do 
come  and  take  pot-luck  with  us. 

Fosse". — Au  borddu fosse  la  culbute=\$ee  CULBUTE.] 

Fou. — Ilestfou  a  Her  =  He  is  raving  mad. 

La  piece  a  eu  un  succes  fou  —  The  play  had  an  enormous 

success. 

II y  avaitun  monde  fou  -  There  was  an  immense  crowd. 
II  a  paye  ce  tableau  un  prix  fou  —  He  paid  an  enormous 

price,  an  unreasonable  price,  for  that  picture. 
Un  rirefou  =  h.  tremendous  laughter. 
Plus  on  est  de  fous,  plus  on  rit  =  The  more  the  merrier. 
Muraille   blanche,    papier  de  fou  =  Fools  write   their 

names   on   the   walls.       Nomina   stultorum   semper 

parietibus  adsunt. 


212        FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Fouet. — 11  fait  claquer  son  fouet  =  He  makes  the  most  of 

himself. 
Fouetter.— -J'ai  Men  d'autres  chiens  a  fouetter  =  I  have 

other  fish  to  fry. 

//  n'y  a  pas  de  quoi  fouetter  un  chat  —  There  is  no 
occasion  to  make  such  a  fuss ;  i.e.,  not  enough  to 
whip  a  cat  for. 
Et  maintenant,  fouette,  cocker  !  =  And  now,  fire  away  ! 

Go  ahead ! 

Fouille". — //  excelle  a  creer  des  types  curieusement  fouilles  — 
He    excels    in    bringing   out    characters    curiously 
worked  out  in  their  minutest  details. 
Fouler. — Us  foulent  aux  pieds  tout  sentiment  de  justice  — 

They  trample  under  foot  every  feeling  of  justice. 
Four. — 11  fait  noir  comme  dans  unfour  —  [See  FAIRE.] 
£'a  ete  un  four  complet*  =  It  was  a  complete  failure. 
On  ne  peut  etre  en  meme  temps  au  four  et  ait  moulin  = 

One  cannot  be  in  two  places  at  the  same  time. 
Ce  n'est  pas  pour  vous  que  le  four  chauffe  =  There  is 

nothing  for  you.     Don't  you  wish  you  may  get  it ! 
Vous  viendrez  cuire  a  monfour=^  [See  CUIRE.] 
Fourche. — //  leur  afallu  passer  sous  les  fourclies  caudines  f 
=  They   had   to   submit   to    the  most  humiliating 
conditions. 


*  The  expression  Faire  four,  which  has  become'  of  common  use, 
was  originally  applied  exclusively  to  the  failure  of  a  theatrical  perform- 
ance. In  olden  times,  when  the  actors  found  there  was  not  a  sufficient 
audience  assembled,  they  would  return  the  money,  and  turn  out  the 
public.  This  was  called  fat  re  four. 

Now,  it  is  well  known  that  Italian  comedy  was  formerly  an  im- 
portant element  in  the  public  amusements  of  Paris ;  hence  the  very 
probable  introduction  of  the  Italian  word  fuori,  i.e.,  out,  out  of  doors, 
which  may  still  be  heard  in  the  Peninsula  when  actors  are  called  out : 
"  Fuori !  ftiori  I "  From  fiiori  the  transition  to  the  French  four  is  an 
easy  and  natural  one.  Be  this  as  it  may,  Faire  four  now  applies  to 
the  failure  of  any  enterprise,  and  answers  to  that  other  word  of  Italian 
importation,  fiasco,  which  has  the  same  melancholy  significance,  and  is 
itself  in  such  frequent  use  that  it  ought  not  to  be  so  completely  ignored 
in  almost  all  French  dictionaries. 

t  This  proverbial  saying,  Passer  sous  les  four ches  caudines,  refers  to 
a  well-known  episode  of  Roman  history,  as  related  by  Livy.  The 
Furculce  Caudina,  thus  called  from  Caudium,  a  city  of  Samnium, 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS        213 

Fourchette.  —  C'est  une  belle  fourchette  —  He  plays    an 

excellent  knife  and  fork. 
Fourgon. — La  pelle  se  moque  du  fourgon  =  The  pot  calls 

the  kettle  black. 
Fourmi.— -/'at  des  fourmis  dans  les  jambes  =  I  have  pins 

and  needles  in  my  legs. 

Fourni. —  Une  chevelure  bienfournie  =  A  thick  head  of  hair. 
Fourre. — //  nfa  porte  un  coup  fourre  =  He  has  done  me  a 

secret  injury ;  he  has  injured  me  behind  my  back. 
Ce  rfest  qrfune  paix  fourree  *  =  It  is  only  a  patched-up 

peace. 
Fourreau. — La  lame  chez  lui  use  le  fourreau  —  His  mind 

is  too  active  for  his  body  [literally,  The  blade  wears 

out  the  sheath.] 
se  Fourrer. — II  faut  qu'il  se  fourre  par  tout  =  He  must 

needs  thrust  himself  in  everywhere. 
//  ne  sait  ou  se  fourrer=  He  does  not  know  where  to 

hide  himself. 
Frai. —  Voulez-vous  dufrai  ou  de  la  laite  ?-  Which  will  you 

have,  some  hard  roe  or  some  soft  ? 
Ces  pieces  de  monnaie  gardees  en  reserve  par  la  Banque 

de  France  riont  naturellement  subi  aucun  frat,  Men 

que  frapp'ees  depuis  plusieurs  annees  =  Those  coins 

kept  back  by  the  Bank  of  France  have  naturally 

undergone  no  loss  in  weight  or  appearance,  although 

coined  several  years  ago. 


South  Italy,  were  two  narrow  defiles  or  gorges,  united  by  a  range  of 
mountains  on  each  side.  The  Romans  went  through  the  first  pass,  but 
found  the  second  blocked  up  ;  on  returning,  they  found  the  first  simi- 
larly obstructed.  Being  thus  hemmed  in  by  the  Samnites,  commanded 
by  C.  Pontius,  they  surrendered  at  discretion,  B.C.  321  (after  a  defeat, 
according  to  Cicero),  and  were  compelled  to  pass  under  the  yoke. 

*  The  name  of  Paix  fourree,  also  called  Paix  pldtree,  was  given  to 
the  peace  concluded  at  Longjumeau  with  the  Huguenots  under  Conde 
and  Coligny  on  the  23rd  March  1568,  being  so  called  because  it  was 
patched  up  in  a  great  hurry  at  a  time  of  great  confusion.  Like  the 
following  treaty  of  peace  between  the  same  parties,  this  one  was  also 
called  une  paix  boiteuse  et  mal  assise  (see  note  on  BOITEUX)  ;  for  the 
sinister  Catherine  of  Medici  had  only  signed  it  to  gain  time  for  another 
war  against  the  Protestants. 


214       FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS    AND    PROVERBS 

Frais. — Nous  prenions  le  f rat's  aux  fenetres  =  We  were 

taking  the  air  at  the  windows. 

II  commence  afairefrais  =  It  is  beginning  to  get  cool. 
Mettez  ce  vin  au  frais =  Put  this  wine  in  a  cool  place. 
//  est  frais  et  gaillard  pour  son  age  =  He  is  hale  and 

hearty  for  his  age. 
Le  pain  frais  ne  me  vaut  rien  —  Ne\v  bread  is  not  good 

for  me. 

Us  se  sont  mis  en  frais  — They  went  to  expense. 
//  a  fait  de  grands  frais  pour  Pimpressionner  favorable- 

ment=He  made  great  efforts  to  impress  her  favour- 
ably. 
Mais  il  en  a  etc  pour  ses  frais  =  But  he  lost  his  time 

and  pains  :  he  failed  entirely. 
Le  directeur  n'a  pas  fait  ses  frais  —  The  manager  did 

not  cover  his  expenses. 
Avec  ces  dynamiteurs  la  liberte  fera  malheureusement 

tous  les  frais  de  la  securite  =  With  those  dynamiters 

freedom   shall   unfortunately  be   sacrificed  for  the 

sake  of  security. 

Franc. —  Un  franc  vaurien  =  K  thorough  scamp. 
Unefranche  bevue  =  A  downright  blunder. 
Deux  jours  francs  =  Two  whole  days. 
Un  paquet  franc  de  port  =  A  parcel  carriage  paid. 
//  est  franc  du  collier •=  [See  COLLIER.] 
Franc,  ais. — Je  vous  le  dis  en  bon  fran$ais  =  I  tell  you  so 

plainly — in  good  French  ;  in  plain  English. 
//  nous  a  refus  a  la  bonne  franquette  =  He  received  us 

cordially  without  ceremony. 

Frapper. — Champagne  frappe  =  Iced  champagne. 
se    Frapper. — La  guinee,  dont  la  fabrication  remonte  a 

1663,  ne  se  frappe  plus  -—  Guineas,  which  were  first 

made  in  1663,  are  no  longer  coined. 

Fraude. — I  Is  Pont  passe  en  fraude  =  T\\ey  smuggled  it. 

Frein. —  On  me  laissa  ranger  mon  frein  dans  mon  cachot= 

[Gil  Bias.} 

They  left  me  to  fret  at  leisure  in  my  dungeon. 
Friand. — C'est  un  morceaufriand=\\.  is  a  tit-bit. 


FRENCH   AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS       21$ 

Friche. — Cette  terre  est  en  friche  =  This  piece  of  ground 

lies  fallow. 
Prime. — Ce  depart  pour  FAmeriqiie  n'esf  qu'une  frime  — 

This  departure  for  America  is  a  mere  pretence. 
Ce  ri'etait  que  pour  la  frime  =  It  was  only  a  make-believe. 
Frire. — //  n'a  plus  de  quoi  frire  =  He  is  quite  ruined. 
F  riser. — Sa  raideur  frisait  F  impertinence  =      [E.  ABOUT.] 

His  stiffness  bordered  on  impertinence. 
Elle  f rise  la  trentaine  =  She  is  getting  on  fast  for  thirty. 
La  balle  lui  a  frise  Fepaule  =  The  ball  just  grazed  his 

shoulder. 
Froc. — De  chagrin  il prit  lefroc=\n  his  sorrow  he  turned 

monk. 

11 jeta  lefroc  aux  orttes  =  ^Q  gave  up  his  profession. 
Froid.— Cela  nefera  ni  chaud  nifroid=  [See  CHAUD.] 

Arrtere  ceux  dont  la  bouche 
Souffle  le  chaud  et  le  froid  t  = 

[LA  FONTAINE.] 

Away  with  those  whose  mouth  blows  hot  and  cold ! 
Cela  fait  froid  dans  le  dos  =  It  chills  you  in  the  back. 
C'esf  un  gaillard  qui  n'a  pas  froid  aux  yeux  =  He  is  a 

plucky  fellow  who  is  not  to  be  intimidated. 
Pourquoi  lui  battez-vous  froid  ?  =  [See  BATTRE.] 
Dieu  donne  le  froid  selon  le  drap  *  =  God  gives  the  cold 

according  to  the  cloth. 
Dieu  mesure  le  froid  a  la  brebis  tondue  =  God  tempers 

the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb. 


*  Dieu  donne  le  froid  selon  le  drap.  Of  this  proverb  my  late  revered 
colleague,  Dr.  Trench,  says :  "  It  is  very  beautiful,  but  attains  not  to 
the  tender  beauty  of  our  own,  '  God  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn 
lamb.'"  Now,  it  seems  to  me  that  we  have  here  a  difference  in  the 
wording  without  a  distinction  in  the  sense,  and  I  submit  that  the  very 
old  French  proverb,  Dieu  donne  le  froid  selon  la  robbe  ( I  purposely 
keep  the  old  spelling),  is  quite  as  beautiful  in  its  spirit  as  the  English 
version ;  for  the  robbe  refers  to  the  more  or  less  of  shearing,  and  we 
find  the  saying  in  these  words  quoted  as  being  a  very  old  French 
proverb  in  Henri  Estienne's  Premices,  p.  47,  a  work  which  dates  from 
the  beginning  of  the  i6th  century. 

Moreover,  we  have  long  had  the  exact  equivalent  of  Dr.  Trench's 
favourite  in  its  ipsissima  verba :  Dieu  mesure  le  froid  a  la  brebis  tondue. 


2l6        FRENCH   AND   ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND   PROVERBS 

Fromage. — Entre  la  poire  et  k  fromage  =  At  dessert. 
Front. — Ilntine  toutes  ces  differentes  entreprises  de  front  =  He 
carries  on  all  those  various  concerns  simultaneously. 
llheurte  de  front  toutes  les  idees  revues  =  He  runs  counter 

to  all  received  notions. 
Quel  front !  =  What  impudence  ! 

Quoi 7  vous  avez  le  front  de  trouver  cela  beau  ?  = 

[MOLIERE.] 

What !  you  dare  to  find  that  beautiful  ? 
Us  marchaient  tous  de  front '=  They  all  walked  abreast. 
Frotter. — Ce  document  sent  I'ame  violente  et  rusee  du  demi- 
barb are  frotte  de  civilisation  —  This  document  betrays 
the  violent  and  cunning  spirit  of  a  half-barbarian, 
veneered  over  with  civilisation. 
//  s'est  fait  frotter    d'importance  =  He   got   a   good 

drubbing. 
SC  Frotter. — -Je  ne  veux  pas  m'y  frotter  =  I  am  not  going 

to  meddle  with  it. 
Qui  sy  frotte  s'y  pique  =  Touch  me  who  dares.    Gather 

thistles,  expect  pricks. 

Fruit. — Rien  n'est  bon   comme   le  fruit  defendu  =  There's 
nothing  so  good  as  forbidden  fruit.     Stolen  fruit  is 
sweet. 
C'est  un  fruits  sees  de  St.  Cyr*  =  He  was  plucked  at 

the  St.  Cyr  school. 
Fume*e. — Nos  esp'erances  s'en  sont  allees   en  fumte  =  Our 

hopes  all  came  to  nothing. 

//  n'y  a  pas  de  fumee  sans  feu  -  There  is  no  smoke 
without  fire. 


*  M.  Genin,  in  his  "  Aotes  sur  le  Dictionnaire  frMtffis,"  explains 
the  origin  of  the  expression  frtiiis  sees,  which  is  now  of  frequent  use. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Polytechnic  School  there  was  a  student 
from  the  South  whose  father  was  a  wholesale  dry  fruit  merchant.  This 
young  man,  who  had  no  taste  for  mathematics,  did  little  or  no  work, 
and  to  his  comrades'  remarks  about  the  consequences  of  his  indifference 
he  would  frequently  reply  :  ' '  What  will  it  matter  to  me  if  I  fail  ?  I 
shall  go  in  for  fruits  sees,  like  my  father."  And,  to  be  sure,  that 
became  his  lot,  and  ever  since  the  expression  remained,  and  a  young 
fellow  plucked  at  the  final  examination,  or  who  turns  out  a  failure  in 
any  school  or  college,  is  called  a  fruits  sees. 


FRENCH    AND    ENGLISH    IDIOMS   AND    PROVERBS        217 

//  n'y  a  pas  de  feu  sans  fum'ee  =  A  strong  passion  always 

betrays  itself. 

//  etait  au  banquet,  mat's  il  a  mange  son  pain  a  la 
fum'ee  du  r0/=He  was  present  at  the  entertainment, 
but  he  did  not  partake  of  it. 

. — Entrepreneur  de  pompes  funebres  =  Undertaker. 
Fur. — Au  fur  et  a  mesure  que  .  .  .  =  In  proportion  as.     As 

soon  as  ... 
Fureur. — La-dessus,  il  est  entr'e  en  fureur  =  Thereupon  he 

got  into  a  fury. 
Cela  fait  fureur  en  ce  moment-  It  is  quite  the  rage  just 

now. 

//  a  la  fureur  du  jeu  =  He  has  a  passion  for  gambling. 
Furieux. — C'est  un  furieux  mangeur-  He  is  a  prodigious 

eater. 

Fuseau. — Le  fuseau  doit  suivre  le  hoyau  —  The  wife  must 
emulate    the    husband's    industry.     Literally,    The 
spindle  must  follow  the  mattock. 
Des  jambes  de  fuseau  =  Spindle-shanks. 
Fusde. —  Void  une  belle  fusee  a  demeler  -  Here  is  a  fine 

bone  to  pick ;  a  nice  intrigue  to  unravel. 
Fusil. — Fusil  a  deux  coups  =  Double-barrelled  gun. 
Fut. — Cette  btire  a  un  gout  de  fu t=  This  beer  has  a  twang 

of  the  cask. 

Futd. —  C'est  unfut'e  matois=T&&  is  a  cunning  old  fox. 
Futur. — Le  futur  epoux  ;   les  futurs  conjoints  =  The  in- 
tended husband;    the  husband  and  wife  that  are 
to  be. 
Fuyant. —  Un  front  fuyant  =  A  receding  forehead. 


INDEX 

TO   THE   PRINCIPAL   NOTES. 

A  PAGE 

ETRE  marque  a  1'A i 

Abondance      ........         3 

Adieu      .         .         .         .         .  .         .         .         7 

A  demain  les  affaires  se"rieuses  .....         8 

Essuyer  un  affront    .......         9 

Querelle  d'Allemand         .         .         .         .         .         .12 

Faute  d'un  point  Martin  perdit  son  ane     .         .         .16 
Ecrire  comme  un  ange      .         .         .         .         .         .17 

Ressembler  aux  anguilles  de  Melun  .         .         .         -17 
Assiette   .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .22 

Aujourd'hui      ........       24 

Sans  aveu         .-  .         .         .         .         .         -27 

Se  ranger  a  1'avis  de  quelqu'un .         .         .         .         .28 

Etre  marque  au  B     .         .         .         .         .         .         -3° 

Bas  -33 

Bas-bleu  .........       34 

Batonnier  des  Avocats      .         .         .         .         .         -35 

Bec-jaune         ........       37 

Faire  passer  la  plume  par  le  bee        ....       38 

Le  bon  billet  qu'a  La  Chatre     .         .         .         .         -41 

Boire  a  tire  la  Rigault       .         .  •   .         .         .42 

Le  vin  est  verse",  il  faut  le  boire         ....       43 

Etre  du  bois  dont  on  fait  les  flutes    ....       44 

Paix  boiteuse  et  mal  assise        .....       45 

Rire  comme  un  bossu       .         .         .         .         .         .49 

Malin  comme  un  bossu     ....  .50 

A  bon  vin  point  d'enseigne        .         .         .         .         .51 

Bourgeois         .         .         .         .         .         .         •         •       52 

Loger  le  diable  en  sa  bourse     .  52 

Battre  la  breloque    .....  -56 

Beaucoup  de  bruit,  peu  de  besogne  .  .       59 

L'ane  de  Buridan  •         •       61 


220  INDEX 

PAGE 

II  ressemble  au  camelot 64 

II  a  regu  un  camouflet 64 

Un  canard        ........       65 

Faire  la  cane    ........       66 

Aller  a  Canossa        .         .         .         .         .         .         .66 

De  pied  en  cap         .....  -66 

Carrosse .........       68 

Ce  que  c'est  que  de  nous  ! 71 

Bonne  renommee  et  ceinture  dore"e  .         .         .         .72 

Charbonnier  est  maitre  chez  lui         .         .         .         -77 
Faire  Charlemagne  .      -  .         .         .         .         .         .78 

Non,  c'est  le  chat !   .......       81 

Faire  des  chateaux  en  Espagne         .         .         .         .81 

L'occasion  est  chauve       .         .         .         .  "  -83 

Un  chien  de  temps — Un  temps  de  chien  ...       87 
St.  Roch  et  son  chien       .         .         .         .         .         -87 

Entre  chien  et  loup  .......       88 

Mon  petit  chou        .......       89 

Etre  ne  coiffe  ........       94 

Colin-Maillard .         .         ...         .         .         .         .94 

Colin-Tampon          .......       95 

Emploi  idiomatique  du  Conditionnel         .         .         .100 
La  coqueluche  du  quartier        .         .         .         .         .104 

Coquille  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .105 

Corde  de  pendu       .  .         .         .         .     106 

Etre  de  sac  et  de  corde    ....  .107 

Gris  comme  un  Cordelier  .         .         .         .         .107 

Cordon  bleu     ......  .108 

Coute  que  coute       .         .         .         .         .         .         .117 

Le  battu  paie  1'amende     ...  .118 

Le  cri  des  animaux  ....... 

Faire  des  cuirs          ....... 

Le  chant  du  cygne  .          ...... 

Se  dechausser  pour  manger       ..... 

Depuis  que      ........ 

Aller  au  diable  au  vert 

Tirer  le  diable  par  la  queue       ... 

Diantre    ...... 

Etre  le  din  don  de  la  farce          ..... 

Diseur  de  bons  mots,  mauvais  caractere    . 


INDEX  221 

PAGE 

Distraire ;  distraction        .         .         .         .         .         .144 

Demander,  doter,  ignorer,  injurier,  &c.      .         .         .148 

Voir  double     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .149 

Chat  e'chaude  craint  1'eau  froide         .         .         .  155 

Ecoute-s'il-pleut        .         .         .  •  .  .158 

Un  elzevir;  un  dahlia,  &c.        .         .         .         .  «•     .     159 

En  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  .     162 

Encore     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  164 

Notre  ennemi,  c'est  notre  maitre        .         .         .         .167 

Entendre  raison,  entendre  la  raison  .         .         .         .169 

Envie,  a  1'envi  .         .         .         .         .         .         .172 

Epee  de  chevet         .         .         .         .         ._-.".     173 

Esprit  d'escalier        .         .         .         .         .         .  175 

Espiegle  .         .         .         .         .         .         .  176 

Etape       .  177 

Etres  de  la  maison   .......     181 

Fastidieux        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .192 

Le  premier  conseil  d'une  femme        .         .         .         -194 
Souvent  femme  varie         .         .         .         .         .         -195 

Fesse-mathieu .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .197 

Napoleon  a  1'ecole    .         .         .         .         .         .         .199 

Fichu  drole — Fichue  corvee      ...         .         .         .200 

Fier  comme  un  Ecossais  ......     200 

Fier  comme  Artaban         .         .         .         .         .         .200 

Fierte  de  Diogene    .         .         .         .         .         .         .201 

Center  fleurettes       .         .         .         .         .         .  205 

Importation  de  mots  etrangers  .....     206 

Faire  four         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .212 

Passer  sous  les  fourches  caudines      .         .         .         .212 

Paix  fourree     .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -213 

Dieu  mesure  le  froid  a  la  brebis  tondue     .         .         .215 
Fruits  sees  216 


END    OF    VOL.    I. 


Printed  by  BALLANTYNE,  HANSON  &  Co. 
Edinburgh  and  London 


A     000  093  457     o 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

•««  De  Neve  Drive  -  Parking  Lot  17  •  Box  951388 

305  LOS  ZNGELES,  CALIFORNIA  90095-1388 
Return  this  material  to  the  library  from  which  it  was  borrowed.