Posts belonging to Category 'expressions'

Tea Idioms

Yes, the English drink a lot of tea! Here are few expressions:
It’s not my cup of tea : ce n’est pas ma tasse de thé
I wouldn’t do it for all the tea in China: this one isn’t used very much these days (rien ne pourrait me persuader)
as good as a chocolate teapot : quelque chose [...]

can use : need

I can use some help : I need some help (j’ai besoin d’aide)
In British English we often say: ‘I could do with some help’
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Money idioms

Look at the following idioms about money. Which one is the best one to go into the sentences below?
Feel the pinch
Tighten your belt
Make ends meet
Down the drain
On a shoestring
In the red
Select the correct idiom to complete the following sentences:
1.When you are unemployed, it’s difficult to ______________________ on such a low income.
2.Public spending is too high. [...]

Expression: to start from scratch

“The publisher didn’t like my first chapter so I had to start from scratch”
“L’editeur n’a pas aimé mon premier chapitre donc je devais recommencer à zéro”
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Expressions with cats

Cats have lived with humans for thousands of years, originally to control rodents like mice and rats, but more recently just as companions. As a result, there are many idioms and proverbs with cats. Animal idioms are hard to translate, though, because different nationalities have different views on the world around them. In French, I [...]

Se lever du pied gauche

Se lever du pied gauche : to get out of bed on the wrong side
In French, it’s not the side of the bed, but the foot you put on the floor first that causes bad moods!
What’s wrong with you? Did you get out the wrong side of bed?
‘qu’est-ce que t’as? Tu t’es levé du pied [...]

comme ci comme ça

comme ci comme ça : so-so
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cliques et claques (prendre ses)

prendre ses cliques et ses claques : to pack up and leave / to pack your bags and go
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blague

blague : joke
tu plaisantes! you’re joking/ you’re kidding
sans blague : no kidding!
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bon appetit!

bon appetit: bon appetit (there is no real equivalent in English, so in polite society you will hear this French expression.
(to someone leaving to eat) : have a good lunch/dinner/meal
(a waiter to a customer, especially in a fast food restaurant): Enjoy your meal
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advienne

advienne qui pourra : come what may
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Expression: Like a breath of fresh air

This expression is the equivalent of the French, “une bouffée d’air frais”. The video shows a somewhat literal interpretation of the expression; it can be used in a more idiomatic way, especially about people or procedures:
“We’re so glad to have a new manager, she’s like a breath of fresh air” (things have changed for the [...]