WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR

JULES SANDEAU. La Roche aux Mouettes (Extracts). [Nutt’s Short French Readers, 6d.]

THÉOPHILE GAUTIER. Voyage en Italie. [Cambridge University Press, 3s.]

ÉMILE SOUVESTRE. Le Philosophe sous les toits (Extracts). [Blackie’s Little French Classics, 4d.]

PIERRE CŒUR. L’Âme de Beethoven. [Siepmann’s French Series. Macmillan, 2s.]

FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS

“Omne epigramma sit instar apis; sit aculeus illi,
Sint sua mella, sit et corporis exigui.” Martial.

[Thus Englished by Archbishop Trench:

“Three things must epigrams, like bees, have all;
Its sting, its honey, and its body small.”]

[And thus by my friend, Mr. F. Storr:

“An epigram’s a bee: ’tis small, has wings
Of wit, a heavy bag of humour, and it stings.”]

“Celebre dictum, scita quapiam novitate insigne.” Erasmus.

“The genius, wit, and spirit of a nation are discovered in its proverbs.”—Bacon.

“The people’s voice the voice of God we call;
And what are proverbs but the people’s voice?” James Howell.

“What oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed.” Pope, Essay on Criticism.

“The wit of one man, the wisdom of many.”—Lord John Russell (Quarterly Review, Sept. 1850).

FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS

A COMPANION TO DESHUMBERT’S

“DICTIONARY OF DIFFICULTIES”

BY

DE V. PAYEN-PAYNE

PRINCIPAL OF KENSINGTON COACHING COLLEGE
ASSISTANT EXAMINER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

FOURTH REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION

[Fifth Thousand]

LONDON
DAVID NUTT, 57-59 LONG ACRE
1905

“Tant ayme on chien qu’on le nourrist,
Tant court chanson qu’elle est aprise,
Tant garde on fruit qu’il se pourrist,
Tant bat on place qu’elle est prise.
Tant tarde on que faut entreprise,
Tant se haste on que mal advient,
Tant embrasse on que chet la prise,
Tant crie l’on Noel qu’il vient.”

Villon, Ballade des Proverbes.

PREFACE

In this edition I have endeavoured to keep down additions as much as possible, so as not to overload the book; but I have not been sparing in adding cross-references (especially in the Index) and quotations from standard authors. These quotations seldom give the first occasion on which a proverb has been used, as in most cases it is impossible to find it.

I have placed an asterisk before all recognised proverbs; these will serve as a first course for those students who do not wish to read through the whole book at once. In a few cases I have added explanations of English proverbs; during the eleven years I have been using the book I have frequently found that pupils were, for instance, as ignorant of “to bell the cat” as they were of “attacher le grelot.”

I must add a warning to students who use the book when translating into French. They must not use expressions marked “familiar” or “popular” except when writing in a familiar or low-class style. I have included these forms, because they are often heard in conversation, but they are seldom met with in serious French literature. A few blank pages have been added at the end for additions. Accents have been placed on capitals to aid the student; they are usually omitted in French printing.

In conclusion, I have to thank Mr. W. G. Lipscomb, M.A., Headmaster of Bolton Grammar School, Mr. E. Latham, and especially M. Georges Jamin of the École Lavoisier, Paris, for valuable suggestions; while M. Marius Deshumbert, and Professor Walter Rippmann, in reading through the proof sheets, have made many corrections and additions of the greatest value, for which I owe them my sincere gratitude.

DE V. PAYEN-PAYNE.

AUTHORITIES CONSULTED

Belcher, H., and Dupuis, A., “Manuel aux examens.” London, 1885.

Belcour, G., “English Proverbs.” London, 1888.

Bohn, H. G., “Handbook of Proverbs.” London, 1855.

Cats, Jacob, and Fairlie, R., “Moral Emblems.” London, 1860.

Duplessis, M. Gratet, “La fleur des Proverbes français.” Paris, 1851.

Furetière, A., “Dictionnaire universel.” La Haye, 1727.

Génin, F., “Récréations philologiques.” Paris, 1856.

Howell, James, “Lexicon Tetraglotton.” London, 1660.

Karcher, T., “Questionnaire français.” Seventh Edition. London, 1886.

Lacurne de Ste. Palaye, “Dictionnaire historique de l’ancien langage françois.” Paris, 1875-82.

Larchey, Lorédan, “Nos vieux Proverbes.” Paris, 1886.

Larousse, P., “Grand Dictionnaire universel du xix^e siècle.” 1865-76.

Le Roux de Lincy, A. J., “Livre des Proverbes français.” 2^e édition. Paris, 1859.

Littré, E., “Dictionnaire de la langue française.” Paris, 1863-72.

Loubens, D., “Proverbes de la langue française.” Paris, 1889.

Martin, Éman, “Le Courrier de Vaugelas.” Paris, 1868.

Quitard, P. M., “Dictionnaire étymologique des Proverbes.” Paris, 1842.

Quitard, P. M., “Études sur les Proverbes français.” Paris, 1860.

Rigaud, Lucien, “Argot moderne.” Paris, 1881.

Tarver, J. C., “Phraseological Dictionary.” London, 1854.

Trench, R. C., “Proverbs and their Lessons.” Sixth Edition. London, 1869.

Quarterly Review. July 1868.

Notes and Queries. Passim.

FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS

Expressions to which an Asterisk is prefixed are Proverbs.

A.

A

Il ne sait ni A ni B = He does not know B from a bull’s foot; He cannot read; He is a perfect ignoramus.

Être marqué à l’A = To stand high in the estimation of others.

[This expression is supposed to have originated in the custom of stamping French coin with different letters of the alphabet. The mark of the Paris Mint was an “A,” and its coins were supposed to be of a better quality than those stamped at provincial towns. But as this custom only began in 1418 by command of the Dauphin, son of Charles VI., and as the saying was known long previous, it is more probable that its origin is to be sought in the pre-eminence that A has always held in all Aryan languages, and that the French have borrowed it from the Romans. Compare Martial, ii. 57, and our A i, at Lloyd’s.]

Abandon

Tout est à l’abandon = Everything is at sixes and sevens, in utter neglect, in confusion.

[Also: Tout va à la dérive.]

Abattre

*Petite pluie abat grand vent = A little rain lays much dust; Often quite a trifle calms a torrent of wrath.

[Compare: “Hi motus animorum atque haec certamina tanta
Pulveris exigui jactu compressa quiescunt.” Vergil, Georgics, iv. 86-7.]

Abattre de l’ouvrage = To get through a great deal of work.

Aboi

Être aux abois = To be reduced to the last extremity; To be at bay.

[Compare Boileau: “Dès que j’y veux rêver, ma veine est aux abois.”]

Abondance

*Abondance de biens ne nuit pas = Store is no sore; One cannot have too much of a good thing.

Parler avec abondance = To speak fluently.

Parler d’abondance = To speak extempore.

Abonder

Il abonde dans mon sens = He is entirely of the same opinion as I am; He has come round to my opinion.

Abord

Il a l’abord rude, mais il s’adoucit bientôt = He receives you roughly at first, but that soon passes off.

A (or, De) prime abord = At first sight; At the first blush.

Aboutir

Les pourparlers n’ont pas abouti = The preliminary negotiations led to nothing.

Absent

*“Les absents ont toujours tort” = When absent, one is never in the right.

“When a man’s away,
Abuse him you may.”

[Néricault-Destouches, L’obstacle imprévu, i. 6.]

Absurde

L’homme absurde est celui qui ne change jamais = The wise man changes his opinion—the fool never.

[Barthélemy, Palinode. 1832.]

Accommodement

Il est avec le ciel des accommodements = One can arrange things with heaven.

[Compare Molière, Tartufe, iv. 5: “Le ciel défend, de vrai, certains contentements,
Mais on trouve avec lui des accommodements.”
The scene in which Orgon, hidden beneath the table, learns Tartufe’s hypocrisy.]

Un méchant accommodement est mieux que le meilleur procès = A bad arrangement is better than the best lawsuit.

Accommoder

Je l’accommoderai comme il faut = I will give him a good hiding.

Il s’accommode de tout = He is satisfied with everything; He is easy to please.

Accord

D’accord = Granted.

Accorder

Accordez mieux vos flûtes, si vous voulez réussir = You must agree better among yourselves if you wish to succeed.

[Generally in bad sense. “Mettez, pour me jouer, vos flûtes mieux d’accord.”—Molière, L’Etourdi, i. 4.]

S’accorder comme chien et chat = To live a cat and dog life.

Accoutumer

Chose accoutumée n’est pas fort prisée = Familiarity breeds contempt.

[The Latin version of a sentence in Plutarch’s Morals runs: “Nimia familiaritas contemptum parit.”

Fais feste au chien, il te gastera ton habit.
“Jamais trop compagnon à nul ne te feras
Car bien que moins de joye moins d’ennuy tu auras.”]

Accrocher

Un homme qui se noie s’accroche à tout = A drowning man catches at a straw.

Il a accroché sa montre (pop.) = He has “popped” his watch.

[Other popular synonyms are the following:—

Il a mis sa montre au clou (pop.) = His watch is up the spout.

J’ai porté ma montre chez ma tante (pop.) = My watch is at my uncle’s.]

Acheter

Acheter à vil prix = To buy dirt cheap, for a mere song.

Acheter chat en poche = To buy a pig in a poke.

Acheter par francs et vendre par écus = To buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest; To sell at a high profit.

Achever

C’est un voleur achevé = He is an arrant thief.

Achoppement

La pierre d’achoppement = The stumbling-block.

Acquérir

*Le bien mal acquis ne profite jamais = Ill-gotten gains benefit no one; Cheats never prosper; Ill got, ill spent.

Acquit

Faire quelque chose par manière d’acquit = To do something for form’s sake, perfunctorily.

[This is a shortened form of faire quelque chose pour l’acquit de sa conscience = to do something to satisfy one’s conscience.]

Donner l’acquit = To break (at billiards).

Pour acquit = Received (on bills).

Acte

Faire acte de présence = To put in an appearance.

Adieu

Sans adieu = I shall not say good-bye; I shall see you again soon.

[“Adieu” is shortened from “Je vous recommande à la grâce de Dieu.” Comp. “Sans adieu, chevalier, je crois que nous nous reverrons bientôt.”—Lesage.]

Adresse

Le trait est arrivé à son adresse = The shaft (or, arrow) hit the mark; He took the hint.

Adresser

Vous vous adressez mal; Vous vous adressez bien (ironic.) = You have come to the wrong person; You have mistaken your man.

Advenir

*Advienne que pourra = Happen what may.

Affaire

Cela fera parfaitement l’affaire = That will do capitally; That will suit down to the ground.

C’est son affaire = That is his business, his look-out.

Ça, c’est mon affaire = That is my business; It is no business of yours.

Il est sûr de son affaire = He will pay for it; He will catch it.

Je ne dis pas mes affaires aux autres = I do not tell others my plans (or business); I keep my concerns to myself.

J’entends votre affaire = I see what is to be done for you.

Ils parlent affaires = They are talking business.

Ils parlent boutique = They are talking shop.

C’est une triste affaire = It is a sad business.

S’attirer une mauvaise affaire = To get into a mess, scrape.

Quand on a de l’esprit, on se tire d’affaire = When one has brains, one gets out of any difficulty.

[Distinguish between se tirer and s’attirer.]

Si quelque affaire t’importe, ne la fais pas par procureur = If you want a thing done, do it yourself.

L’affaire a été chaude = It was warm work (referring to a fight).

Une affaire d’honneur = A duel.

Où sont mes affaires? = Where are my things?

Les affaires ne vont pas (ne marchent pas) = Trade is dull, slack.

Je suis dans les affaires = I am in business.

[“Les affaires? C’est bien simple, c’est l’argent des autres.”—Alex. Dumas fils, La Question d’Argent, ii. 7.]

Mêlez-vous de vos affaires = Mind your own business.

Avoir affaire = To be occupied.

Avoir affaire à quelqu’un = To have to speak to (to deal with) a person.

[Sometimes as a threat:

Il aura affaire à moi = He will have to deal with me.]

Avoir affaire de quelqu’un = To need a person.

[“J’ai affaire de vous, ne vous éloignez pas.”]

Avoir son affaire = To have what suits one. J’ai mon affaire = I have found what I want. J’ai votre affaire = I have got the very thing for you. Il aura son affaire (ironic.) = He will catch it.

C’est toute une affaire = It is a serious matter; It means a lot of bother (or, trouble).

C’est une affaire faite = It is as good as done.

Son affaire est faite = He is a dead man (of one dying); He is done for; He is a ruined man.

Faire son affaire = (of oneself) To succeed. Il fait tout doucement son affaire = He is getting on slowly but surely.
(Of others) To punish. S’il le rencontre, il lui fera son affaire = If he meets him he will give it to him, will “do” for him.

Il a fait ses affaires dans les vins = He made his money in the wine trade.

J’en fais mon affaire = I will take the responsibility of the matter; I will see to it; I will take it in hand.

Vous avez fait là une belle affaire (ironic.) = You have made a pretty mess of it.

Une affaire de rien = A mere nothing, a trifle.

Il est hors d’affaire = He is out of danger.

Être au dessous de ses affaires, être au dessus de ses affaires (ironic.) = To be unable to meet one’s liabilities, to be unsuccessful.

Quelle affaire! En voilà une affaire! (ironic.) = What a to-do! What a row about nothing!

La belle affaire! = Is that all? (i.e. it is not so difficult or important as you seem to think).

Il n’y a point de petites affaires = Every trifle is of importance.

Ceux qui n’ont point d’affaires s’en font = Those who have no troubles invent them; Idle people make business for themselves.

Les affaires sont les affaires = Business is business; One must be serious at work.

Ce scandale sera l’affaire de huit jours = That scandal will be a nine days’ wonder.

Dieu nous garde d’un homme qui n’a qu’une affaire = God save us from the man of one idea.

[Because he is always talking of it, and tires every one. Compare “Beware of the man of one book.”]

Chacun sait ses affaires = Every one knows his own business best.

*A demain les affaires sérieuses = I will not be bothered with business to-day; Time enough for business to-morrow.

[The saying of Archias, governor of Thebes, on receiving a letter from Athens warning him of the conspiracy of Pelopidas; he would not even open the letter. Soon after, the conspirators rushed in and murdered him and his friends as they were feasting.]

Il vaut mieux avoir affaire à Dieu qu’à ses saints = It is better to deal with superiors than subordinates.

[Two quotations from La Fontaine are proverbial:— “On ne s’attendait guère
A voir Ulysse en cette affaire.”
La Tortue et les deux Canards.

“Le moindre grain de mil
Serait bien mieux mon affaire.”
Le Coq et la Perle.]

Affamer

*Ventre affamé n’a point d’oreilles = A hungry man will not listen to reason.

[La Fontaine, Fables, ix. 18.]

Afficher

Défense d’afficher = Stick no bills.

C’est un homme qui s’affiche = He is a man who tries to get talked about (generally in a disparaging sense).

[Être affiché is also said of a man who has been “posted” at his club.]

Affront

Faire affront à quelqu’un = To shame some one in public.

Le fils fait affront à sa famille = The son is a disgrace to his family.

Boire (essuyer or avaler) un affront = To pocket an insult.

Affût

Être à l’affût = To be watching for a favourable opportunity; To be on the look-out. (See [Aguets].)

Âge

Il est entre deux âges = He is middle-aged.

Il est président d’âge = He is chairman by seniority.

Le bas âge = Infancy.

Le bel âge = Childhood; youth.

[Some idea is generally understood after le bel âge. Thus “childhood” is not always the right translation. For an author le bel âge would be after thirty, for a politician later still, and so on. Chicaneau, in Racine’s Plaideurs, calls sixty le bel âge pour plaider (i. 7).]

La fleur de l’âge = The prime of life.

Le moyen âge = The Middle Ages.

Agir

Il s’agit de... = The question is...; The point is...

Il s’agit de votre vie = Your life is at stake.

Il ne s’agit pas de cela = That is not the point.

Il s’agit bien de cela (ironic.) = That is quite a secondary consideration.

Agiter

Qui s’agite s’enrichit = If you wish to get rich, you must work (hustle); No pains, no gains.

Agonie

Même à travers l’agonie la passion dominante se fait voir = The ruling passion is strong in death.

[“Elle a porté ses sentiments jusqu’à l’agonie.”—Bossuet. “And you, brave Cobham! to the latest breath
Shall feel your ruling passion strong in death.”
Pope, Moral Essays, i. 262.]

Aguets

Il est aux aguets = He is on the watch; He is in ambush. (See [Affût].)

Aide

*Un peu d’aide fait grand bien = Many hands make light work.

Aider

Bon droit a besoin d’aide = Even a good cause needs support.

*Aide-toi, le ciel t’aidera = God helps those who help themselves.

[La Fontaine, Fables, vi. 18, Le Chartier embourbé, copying Régnier, Sat. xiii.:

“Aydez vous seulement et Dieu vous aydera.”

Lat.: Dii facientes adjuvant.

Æschylus, Persae, 742: Σπεύδοντι σαυτῷ χῶ θεὸς ξυνάψεται.

Sophocles, Camicii, frag. 633, in Dindorf’s edition: Οὐκ ἐστι τοῖς μή δρῶσι σύμμαχος Τύχη.

Another Greek saying was: Σύν, Αθηνᾷ καὶ χείρα κίνει = With Minerva on your side, yet use your own hand.

Cromwell is reported to have said at the battle of Dunbar: “Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.”

The Basques say: “Quoique Dieu soit bon ouvrier, il veut qu’on l’aide.”]

Aiguille

De fil en aiguille = Bit by bit; One thing leading to another.

[“De propos en propos et de fil en eguille.”—Régnier, Sat. xiii.]

Raconter de fil en aiguille = To tell the whole matter from the beginning.

Disputer sur la pointe d’une aiguille = To raise a discussion on a subject of no importance; To split hairs.

*Chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin = To look for a needle in a bundle (bottle) of hay.

Aiguillon

A dur âne dur aiguillon = In dealing with obstinate natures one must use severe measures.

Aile

Il en a dans l’aile = He is winged (hurt).

Le ministère a du plomb dans l’aile = The ministry is nearing its end, is winged.

Il ne bat plus que d’une aile = He is almost ruined; He is on his last legs.

Voler de ses propres ailes = To act (or, shift) for oneself.

J’en tirerai pied ou aile = I will get something out of it.

[Idiom derived from carving a bird—to get a leg or a wing off it.]

C’est la plus belle plume de son aile (or, le plus beau fleuron de sa couronne) = It is the finest gem of his crown.

Aimer

*Qui aime bien châtie bien = Spare the rod and spoil the child.

[Proverbs xiii. 24.]

Aimer quelqu’un comme la prunelle de ses yeux = To love somebody like the apple of one’s eye.

Quand on n’a pas ce que l’on aime il faut aimer ce que l’on a = If you cannot get crumb you had best eat crust.

[This sentence is found in a letter from Bussy Rabutin to Madame de Sévigné, May 23, 1667.

“Quoniam non potest id fieri quod vis, id velis quod possit.”—Terence, Andria, ii. 1, 6. “When things will not suit our will, it is well to suit our will to things.”—Arab proverb. “Let not what I cannot have
My peace of mind destroy.”
Colley Cibber, The Blind Boy.]

*Qui aime Bertrand, aime son chien = Love me, love my dog.

[“Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.”—S. Bernard, In Fest. S. Mich. Serm., i. sec. 3.]

*Qui aime bien, tard oublie = True love dies hard.

Qui m’aime me suive = Peril proves who dearly loves.

[Words attributed to Philippe VI. when at a Council during his war with Flanders, the Connétable de Châtillon alone stood by him, saying all times were suitable to the brave.]

Air

En plein air; Au grand air = In the open air.

Avoir toujours le pied en l’air = To be always on the go.

Il parle en l’air = He talks without thinking of what he is saying, at random, not seriously.

Je vais prendre l’air du bureau = I am just going to look in at the office.

Prendre un air de feu = To go near the fire for a few minutes to warm oneself.

A votre air on ne vous donnerait pas vingt-cinq ans = From your looks I should take you for less than five-and-twenty.

Vivre de l’air du temps = To live upon nothing (i.e. to eat very little).

Elle a quelque chose de votre air = She takes after you; She looks somewhat like you.

Il a un faux air d’avocat = He looks something like a barrister.