French Idioms and Proverbs / A Companion to Deshumbert's "Dictionary of Difficulties"

by de V. Payen-Payne

Faire du feu = To light a fire.

Fève

*Il a trouvé la fève au gâteau = He has hit the mark; He has made a lucky discovery.

[It was (and is still in many places) the custom to hide a bean in the cake on Twelfth Night, and the person who found it was the king of the revels.

“Pensent avoir trouvé la fève du gasteau.”
Régnier, Satires, vii.]

*Donner un pois pour avoir une fève = To give a sprat to catch a herring. (See [Œuf].)

Fier

Fier comme Artaban (or, comme un Écossais) = As proud as a peacock.

[Artaban was the hero of Cléopâtre, a romance by La Calprenède, a Gascon. The phrase is also said to be derived from Artabanes, King of Parthia. “Plus fier que tous les Artabans.”—Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, i. 2.]

Fièvre