Literally translated as, not being out of the inn, the expression means that one is tangled up in an unpleasant situation with still a...

Literally translated as, putting one’s hand to the dough, mettre la main à la pâte means being willing to participate in an activity that...

Hello Members, You know it's July when you get up and the chair comes with you, someone once said, quite appropriately. They might have...

Literally, rire jaune translates as laughing yellow. While it might conjure up a mouth full of yellow teeth, the meaning is actually...

Literally translated as adding oil on the fire, the expression means making a difficult situation even worse, exacerbating a conflict,...

Hello Members, June is here and it is full of promise! Most of us now feel safe to go out and about again and attend all those outdoor...

Literally translated as the shallot race, this expression is used in situations of futile competition, when people strive to outdo one...

Literally translated as, putting water in one’s wine, the expression means toning it down, deciding to adopt a more moderate stand on an...

Literally translated as gaining some bottle the expression illustrates the fact that a person gains value, experience, or wisdom with age....

Il y a belle lurette (que) is a quaint, and somewhat poetic, expression that means: in a long time, in ages. It also comes as ça fait...

Dear Members, The sun is warming, birds are chirping, the garden is growing. Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day and Memorial Weekend are just...

The expression prendre la mouche literally translates into 'taking the fly', as in the annoying insect that buzzes around your house in...

The expression translates as 'to drown the fish', which is a pretty odd thing to try and do, considering fish live under water. Noyer le...

This phrase literally means the bowl is full, and even though this might seem like a good thing, the expression is actually used to...

Dear Members, As part of our "Tour de la Francophonie," April is the month of The Democratic Republic of Congo at the Alliance. The DRC,...

You'll hear this slightly old-fashioned, however quite common, expression mostly in the context of an event or an invitation. C'est à la...

J'ai la flemme. Does this sound like something you would say if you have the beginnings of a nasty cold? Maybe, but this phrase...

Languages are full of words that can seem so very strange to a non-native speaker, and French is no exception. Here is a selection of...