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

by de V. Payen-Payne

Aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait = No sooner said than done.

Autant

Cela est fini ou autant vaut = It is as good as finished.

*Autant de têtes, autant d’avis = So many men, so many minds.

[“Quot homines, tot sententiæ.”—Terence, Phormio, ii. 4. Also: “Autant de gens, autant de sens.”]

Autant lui en pend au nez (or, à l’oreille) = He will get just the same (in bad sense).

Autant vaut être mordu d’un chien que d’une chienne = One evil is as bad as the other.

Autant dire mille francs = We may as well say £40. (See [Aller].)

Autant vaut celui qui tient que celui qui écorche = The receiver is as bad as the thief.