Le coin de branches

Question 1

Va voir là‐bas si j’y suis !

Answer 1

Go away! Get lost! Lit.: Go see over there if I’m there.

Question 2

Ça (ne) mange pas de pain.

Answer 2

It can’t hurt, it can’t do any harm. Lit.: That doesn’t eat bread.

Question 3

Tu parles Charles !

Answer 3

Hey, sure bro!/Right!/Ja, sure! Lit.: You are talking, Charles!

Question 4

On n’est pas sorti de l’auberge.

Answer 4

We aren’t out of the woods yet. Lit.: We aren’t out of the inn yet.

Question 5

Courir sur le haricot.

Answer 5

To get on someone’s nerves. Lit: To run on someone’s bean.

Question 6

Ça vaut son pesant de cacahuètes.

Answer 6

That’s priceless, that’s pretty good, that cannot be better (usually an ironic way when talking about something which has no value, or about some ridiculous or worthless action someone does). Lit.: It is worth its weight in peanuts.

Question 7

Coincer la bulle

Answer 7

To bum around, to rest on one’s ears, to do nothing, to be lazy… Lit.: to wedge/box in the bubble.

Question 8

C’est une autre paire de manches

Answer 8

That’s another story, that’s something else all together, meaning: something that one may be dreaming but that may never happen. Lit.: It’s another pair of sleeves.

Question 9

Avoir les jetons

Answer 9

To be scared, to have the jitters. Lit.: to have the tokens.

Question 10

Être un peu long à la détente

Answer 10

To react slowly to something. Lit.: To be a bit slow on the trigger.

Question 11

Je ne vais pas faire long feu ici

Answer 11

I will be leaving soon, I won’t stay here very long. Lit.: I will not make a long fire here

Question 12

Ne pas avoir inventé la poudre

Answer 12

To be a little dumb, not to be very smart/intelligent. Lit.: Not to have invented gunpowder.

Question 13

Ne pas avoir inventé le fil à couper le beurre.

Answer 13

To be a little dumb, not to be very smart/intelligent. Lit.: Not to have invented the thread/wire to cut butter.

Question 14

Tirer des plans sur la comète

Answer 14

To build castles in the air, to make plans/scenarios that may very well be unrealistic. Lit.: To draw plans on the comet.

Question 15

Voir venir avec ses gros sabots

Answer 15

Now we are finally getting to the point, to not be very subtle in one’s intentions. Lit.: I see (you/him/them…) coming wearing your big clogs.

Question 16

Raser les murs

Answer 16

to make oneself very discrete, to keep a low profile, to hug the walls. Lit.: To shave the walls.

Question 17

C’est une histoire à dormir debout

Answer 17

It is a tall tale/story, a cock‐and‐bull story. Lit.: A story to make you sleep standing up.

Question 18

Je ne peux pas être au four et au moulin

Answer 18

I am unable to be in two places at the same time. Lit.: I cannot be at the oven and in the mill.

Question 19

Ce n’est pas la mer à boire

Answer 19

it is not as bad as we might think, it is not so difficult. Lit.: It is not like having the sea to drink.

Question 20

Avoir des casseroles au cul

Answer 20

to be haunted by a few scandals, corruption or illegal affairs, to have skeletons in one’s closet. Lit: To have saucepans hung on one’s ass.

Question 21

Traîner des casseroles

Answer 21

to be haunted by a few scandals, corruption or illegal affairs, to have skeletons in one’s closet. Lit: To drag saucepans behind you.