French Colloquialisms

Ah, la vache!

A very popular expression in France, this expression means ‘Oh my goodness!’ The literal translation, ‘Oh, the cow’ strikes non-native French speakers as downright hilarious.

Aller au charbon

Meaning that you’re up to something very difficult, this phrase is often misinterpreted.

Avoir le cafard

Having a cockroach is an expression that means that you’re feeling down in the dumps.

Avoir une araignée au plafond

Having a spider on the ceiling means the same as the American expression, ‘you have a screw loose’.

Avoir une peur bleue

‘Having a blue fear’ means that you are scared stiff.

Boire comme un trou

What might it mean to ‘drink like a hole?’ This is the French expression for getting extremely drunk.

Casser les oreilles

While the literal translation is ‘breaking someone’s ears,’ this actually means to get on someone’s nerves with too much or the wrong kind of noise. This is a common French phrase in families or student housing for everything from loud music to nagging.

C’est la fin des haricots

While this expression literally means ‘that’s the end of the beans,’ the French meaning is ‘that’s the last straw.’ This expression, used often in exasperation, is quite confusing to French learners until they realize the meaning is not literal.

Entre chien et loup

Literally translating to ‘between the dog and the wolf,’ this expression means ‘dusk or twilight.’

Etre un bon coup

While on the surface it may seem that this expression means ‘being a good hit,’ the meaning actually refers to being good in bed.

Faire un tabac

Being the toast of the town is what this expression means, although it translates to ‘doing a tobacco.’

Original Content: http://french.lovetoknow.com/