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

by de V. Payen-Payne

*Un malheur n’arrive jamais seul = Misfortunes never come singly; It never rains but it pours.

*Cela arrive comme marée en carême = That comes just in the nick of time (lit. as sea-fish in Lent). See [Carême].

Article

Être à l’article de la mort (or, à l’agonie) = To be at death’s door.

[Lat. In articulo mortis.]

Assembler

*Qui se ressemble, s’assemble = Birds of a feather flock together; Like will to like.

Assiette

Il n’est pas dans son assiette = He is not in his normal state of mind; He is out of sorts; He is not up to the mark.