As a language teacher, it was always pretty obvious whenever my students had used an internet translator to write their homework. It was usually obvious due to a complex verb tense we hadnât studied or through their misspellings of English homophones that came out all wrong.
Yet, there was one type of phrase that students would get wrong even if they hadnât used a translator: idiomatic expressions.
Idiomatic expressions are so much fun, and people love learning about them. So, without further ado, letâs take a look at 10 weird French animal idioms that my students loved!
As youâll see, even though animals appear in these weird French animal expressions, their meanings have nothing to do with the animals themselves. So letâs take a look.
1. Avoir une araignée au plafond
Translation: to have a spider on the ceiling
This expressive metaphor originates from the mid-19th century. Apparently, it was used by prostitutes to describe someone who was a bit crazy but harmless. An equivalent in English might be âto have a few screws looseâ.
Example:
– Ce garçon a une araignĂ©e au plafond.
– This boy has a few screws loose.
2. A bon chat, bon rat
Translation: to a good cat, a good rat
Dating from the 16th century, this weird French phrase describes two opponents that are evenly matched. In English, we might use âtit for tatâ as an equivalent.
Example:
– Qui va gagner?
– A bon chat, bon rat
– Whoâs going to win?
– Itâs tit for tat
3. Les chiens ne font pas des chats
Translation: Dogs donât make cats
Itâs an obvious phrase â dogs donât make cats! But, when you use this weird French animal idiom, youâre describing a person who has similar characteristics to their mother or father. In English, we have our own idiomatic expression for this in âthe apple doesnât fall far from the treeâ.
Example:
– Il est paresseux comme sa mĂšre !
– Oui ! Les chiens ne font pas des chats !
– Heâs lazy like his mother!
– Yes! The apple doesnât fall far from the tree!
4. Poser un lapin
Translation: to put down a rabbit
This weird French animal expression is utterly bizarre to us English speakers! When a French person tells you about someone putting down a rabbit, it has nothing to do with bunnies at all! Instead, poser un lapin means leaving someone hanging or standing them up. In other words, arranging to meet but then not showing up!
Example:
– Jâavais rendez-vous avec un garçon mais il mâa posĂ© un lapin.
– I was meant to go on a date with a boy, but he stood me up.
5. Peigner la girafe
Translation: to comb the giraffe
How about this for a weird French animal idiom! Unless youâre a zookeeper, youâve probably never really combed a giraffe. But, if you were in France, you might use this expression to talk about how you were twiddling your thumbs or doing a pointless task.
Example:
– Quâest-ce que tu faisais?
– Rien dâimportant⊠je peignais la girafe.
– What were you doing?
– Nothing importantâŠ. I was twiddling my thumbs.
6. Avoir le cafard/le bourdon
Translation: to have the cockroach/bumblebee
If you have the cockroach or the bumblebee in France, youâre in a gloomy mood or having a bad time of it. But I guess if you did have a cockroach or bumblebee on you, then you might not be very happy! It was the French writer Charles Baudelaire who first used the phrase avoir le cafard in Les fleurs du mal, in 1857.
Example:
– Quâest-ce quâil y a ?
– Jâai le cafard.
– Whatâs the matter?
– Iâm feeling down
7. Donner sa langue au chat
Translation: to give oneâs tongue to the cat
Not to be confused with the English expression âcat got your tongue?â, to give oneâs tongue to the cat means you give up or to give in. As weird French animal expression go, this is pretty strange!
However, thereâs an idiomatic expression similar in English â to throw in the towel.
Example:
– Je ne le trouve pas ! Je donne ma langue au chat.
– I canât find it! I give up.
8. Le chat Ă©chaudĂ© craint lâeau froide
Translation: the scalded cat fears cold water
This weird French animal idiom makes total sense: if a cat has been scalded with hot water, it will also be scared of cold water afterwards. In English, we might say âonce bitten, twice shyâ.
Essentially, weâre describing someone who has been hurt or failed when trying to do something, so theyâre fearful about trying it again.
Example:
– Il est vrai que chat Ă©chaudĂ© craint lâeau froide. Lâavenir nous dira.
– Itâs true what they say: once bitten, twice shy. Only time will tell.
9. Un froid de canard
Translation: duck cold
This informal and weird French animal expression describes the weather when itâs bitterly cold.
The origin of this phrase comes from duck hunting â the best time of year for hunting ducks is in the winter, and hunters must stay still to allow ducks to get close to them, making them get really cold!
In English, we have a weather idiom about ducks â âitâs lovely weather for ducksâ â but for us, this means itâs raining a lot.
Example:
– Ooh la la ! Il fait un froid de canard aujourdâhui!
– Oh my goodness! Itâs bitterly cold today!
10. Devenir chĂšvre
Translation: to become a goat
If you become a goat in France, you become enraged or âgo nuts/bananasâ, as English speakers might say. As weird French animal idioms go, this is really expressive! It conjures up a great mental image of a crazy, angry goat!
Example:
– Il pense que quelquâun lâespionne⊠il me fait devenir chĂšvre.
– He thinks someone is spying on him⊠heâs driving me nuts.
Conclusion
So, there you have it â 10 weird French animal idioms and expressions to try the next time youâre speaking French. I hope these phrases have given you a giggle. Perhaps you no longer have the cockroach or the bumblebee, and you donât feel as though youâve been combing the giraffe.