Établir une rente sur les brouillards de la Seine = To have an income in the clouds (i.e. nothing).
Brouiller
Est-ce que vous vous êtes brouillés? = Are you no longer friends?
Il a eu le malheur de se brouiller avec la justice = He was unfortunate enough to fall out with justice (i.e. to be punished by imprisonment, fine, etc.).
Brouter
*Où la chèvre est attachée il faut qu’elle broute = One must bow to circumstances; One must put up with the inconveniences of one’s position if one can get nothing better; One must not expect more from life than life can give; We must take things as we find them.
[“Là où la chèvre est liée il faut bien qu’elle y broute.”—Molière, Le Médecin malgré lui, iii. 3.]
L’herbe sera bien courte s’il ne trouve à brouter = He would live on nothing; It will go hard if he does not pick up a living.
Faire plus de bruit que de besogne = To be more fussy than industrious.