Just when you start to get the hang of French, idiomatic expressions seem to come out of nowhere just to confuse you. Imagine overhearing people talk of dribbling hat circles or drowning the fish.
Of course, it’s often impossible to work out what these weird French phrases actually mean, but that’s the beauty of idioms! The French have lots of quirky idioms and some are more absurd than others.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 20 weird French phrases. We’ll start off by sharing some mildly absurd phrases and end with some downright weird ones.
1. Tiré par les cheveux
Translation: pulled by the hair
When something is pulled by the hair in French, it means it is far-fetched. This weird French phrase is quite old and dates back to the 17th century!
Example:
– Ce film est bizarre !
– Carrément, c’est tiré par les cheveux !
– This film is weird!
– Totally, it’s far-fetched!
2. Il en a bavé des ronds de chapeau
Translation: he dribbled hat circles
As weird French phrases go, this is pretty absurd! But, remember, this is an idiomatic expression. An English equivalent is to have your eyes almost pop out of your head in surprise.
Example:
– Les resultats n’étaient pas bons ; il en a bavé des ronds de chapeau.
– The results weren’t good; his eyes were almost popping out of his head.
3. Etre comme une poule qui a trouvé un couteau
Translation: to be like a chicken who has found a knife
Being like a chicken who has found a knife is a pretty weird French animal idiom that means that someone is at a complete loss.
I suppose once you know that, it makes sense. After all, a chicken wouldn’t know what a knife is for.
Example:
– C’était terrible. J’étais comme une poule qui a trouvé un couteau.
– It was awful. I was at a complete loss.
4. Se regarder en chiens de faïence
Translation: to look at one another like earthenware dogs.
I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about how earthenware dogs look at each other, and as weird French phrases go, this is pretty strange!
This idiom actually means to look at one another coldly.
Example:
– Dès qu’elle est partie, ils se sont regardés en chiens de faïence.
– As soon as she left, they looked at each other coldly.
5. Haut comme trois pommes
Translation: as tall as three apples
This weird French phrase is a way of describing a person’s height. Being as tall as three apples is a huge exaggeration, though!
We have a similar if old-fashioned idiom in English – being “knee-high to a grasshopper”.
Example:
– Il est haut comme trois pommes !
– He’s knee high to a grasshopper!
6. Ne pas avoir inventé l’eau chaude
Translation: to not have invented hot water
If someone says to you that you haven’t invented hot water, it’s not something you’ll be happy with. It’s an insult meaning someone isn’t very intelligent.
An English equivalent to this weird French phrase might be “not the sharpest tool in the box”.
Example:
– Il est sympa mais il n’a pas inventé l’eau chaude.
– He’s nice but he isn’t the sharpest tool in the box.
7. Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard
Translation: it doesn’t break three legs to a duck
As for weird French phrases, this is far-out. It has nothing to do with ducks at all. This French idiom means that something is particularly unremarkable.
An English equivalent is “nothing to write home about”.
Example:
– Le repas était bon mais ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard.
– The meal was good but nothing to write home about.
8. Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat
Translation: it’s no reason for whipping a cat
Another weird French phrase with a crazy image!
When people talk about there being no reason for whipping a cat, it means that it is nothing to get worked up about.
Example:
– Tu as entendu ? Il démissione !
– Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat.
– Have you heard? He’s resigning!
– It’s not worth getting worked up about.
9. Noyer le poisson
Translation: to drown the fish
I simply love animal-related weird French phrases, and this one has nothing to do with drowning or fish at all. Instead, it means “to muddy the waters” or to confuse someone in an argument or conversation.
Example:
– Ne noyez pas le poisson !
– Don’t muddy the waters!
10. Manger les pissenlits par la racine
Translation: eat the dandelions by the root
No, you’re not having a bizarre garden snack! If you’re eating dandelions by the roots, you won’t be eating at all because it means you’re dead!
An equivalent in English would be “pushing daisies”.
Example:
– Il est très vieux. Il mangera les pissenlits par la racine bientôt.
– He’s really old. He’ll be pushing up the daisies soon enough.
11. À boire ou je tue le chien !
Translation: Bring me something to drink or I kill the dog
As weird French phrases go, this one takes the biscuit!
Not one for the weak of heart, it’s an extreme command that’s often said in jest. While not really an idiomatic expression, it’s certainly a weird French phrase.
In a similar vein in English, we might say something like, “I’m dying of thirst here”.
Example:
– À boire ou je tue le chien !
– J’arrive !
– I’m dying of thirst here!
– Coming!
12. Il y a une couille dans le potage
Translation: there is a ball (testicle) in the soup
I think if you found a testicle in the soup, you’d have a problem – and that’s exactly what this weird French food idiom means.
Equivalent English expressions might be “there’s a fly in the ointment” or “it’s a screw-up”.
Example:
– Le patron vient d’appeler, il y a une couille dans le potage.
– The boss has just called, there’s a major problem.
13. Pas piqué des hannetons
Translation: not bitten by cockchafers
If you imagine not being bitten by cockchafers, you’d definitely think that’s a great thing – and that’s what pas piqué des hannetons means.
In English, we might say, “it’s more than you can shake a stick at” or “out of this world”.
Example:
– Je connais un petit café pas piqué des hannetons.
– I know a splendid cafe.
14. Sortir de la gueule d’une vache
Translation: to come from a cow’s mouth
If someone in France describes your appearances as coming from a cow’s mouth, it means that you probably need to iron your clothes!
On the other hand, I suppose if a cow had chewed your clothes, they would look pretty bad!
Example:
– Tu es sortie de la gueule d’une vache aujourd’hui!
– You’re looking a little unkempt today!
15. Ce n’est pas la mort du petit cheval
Translation: It’s not the death of the little horse
So, for the last of our weird French phrases we have ce n’est pas la mort du petit cheval, which isn’t actually describing a small horse’s death at all.
Our equivalent in English would be “it’s not the end of the world”.
Example:
– J’ai perdu mon bracelet.
– Ce n’est pas la mort du petit cheval !
– I’ve lost my bracelet.
– It’s not the end of the world.
16. Yaourter/chanter en yaourt
Translation: to yogurt/to sing in yogurt
There’s a good reason we don’t have an equivalent for this in English: it’s very rare for us to have songs that we don’t understand.
In France, however, lots of popular music is in a foreign language, so people often attempt to sing along even though they don’t understand the words or their meaning.
Example:
– Je ne parle pas anglais donc je yaourtais pendant la chanson.
– I don’t speak English, so I mumbled along to the song.
17. L’esprit de l’escalier
Translation: staircase wit
Have you ever been in an altercation with someone and thought of a witty comeback on the way home? If you’ve ever thought, “I should have said this”, you’ve experienced l’esprit de l’escalier.
I love how poetic this weird French phrase is.
Example:
– Ah! L’esprit de l’escalier… si seulement j’avais pensé à ça !
– Oh! What a great comeback that would have been… If only I’d thought of that!
18. Boire comme un trou
Translation: to drink like a hole
While we might use the expression “to drink like a fish”, the French would say “to drink like a hole”.
While not the weirdest of French phrases and idiomatic expressions on this list, it’s certainly one that makes sense! Research tells me that only saltwater fish drink, and even then, it’s not a lot!
Example:
– Mon oncle boit comme un trou. Je pense qu’il a un problème.
– My uncle drinks like a fish. I think he has a problem.
19. Ce n’est pas la mer à boire
Translation: it’s not the sea to drink
Imagine trying to drink the sea – you’d have a pretty tough time of it! When someone in France says something is not the sea to drink they’re saying it’s not like you have to drink the sea.
In other words, the task is not that difficult or it’s not a big deal.
Example:
– J’ai beaucoup de devoirs à faire !
– Ce n’est pas la mer à boire.
– I have lots of homework to do.
– It’s no big deal.
20. Les carottes sont cuites
Translation: the carrots are cooked
The chips are down, your goose is cooked, and the writing is on the wall. Yes, it’s all over – and so is our list of weird French phrases!
Or, as the French would say, les carottes sont cuites.
Example:
– Ça y est, c’est terminé, les carottes sont cuites.
– That’s it, it’s all over, the writing is on the wall.
Conclusion
So, there you have it – 20 weird French phrases that’ll make you scratch your head.
Sometimes with idiomatic expressions, we can really see how they might have come about or they might seem a poetic way of describing something (like eating the roots of dandelions). Some, however, are entirely absurd, and you’d be like a chicken who’s found a knife unless you look them up online!
Right then, the carrots are cooked!