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

by de V. Payen-Payne

J’ai mal au cœur = I feel sick.

Vous prenez tout en mal = You put a wrong construction on everything.

Elle s’est trouvée mal = She fainted.

Elle est au plus mal = She is past recovery.

Sa sœur aînée n’est pas mal = Her elder sister is not bad-looking.

*Aux grands maux les grands remèdes = Desperate diseases require desperate remedies.

Malheur

*À quelque chose malheur est bon = It is an ill wind that blows no one any good.

[“À quelque chose sert le malheur.”
Montaigne, Essais, ii. 17.]