Répandre
C’est un homme très répandu = He is a man who goes into society a great deal.
Répandre
C’est un homme très répandu = He is a man who goes into society a great deal.
Repentir
*Le repentir vient ordinairement trop tard = Do a thing in haste and repent at leisure.
Répondre
Je vous en réponds! = I will be bound it is; I should think so, indeed! You take my word for it.
Reprocher
Il me reproche les morceaux = He grudges me the very food I eat.
Résoudre
Je ne puis m’y résoudre = I cannot make up my mind to do it.
Ressort
Ce n’est pas de mon ressort = That is not within my province, “not in my line.”
Il a fait jouer tous les ressorts = He used all the means in his power.
Ce tribunal juge en dernier ressort = This court tries without appeal; There is no appeal from the findings of this court.
Reste
Je ne veux pas être en reste avec vous = I do not want to do less for you than you have done for me.
J’en ai de reste = I have more than enough.
Il n’a pas demandé son reste! = He soon took himself off, I can tell you! He soon shut up, I can tell you!
Retour
Il est perdu sans retour = He is past all hope.
Il demeure à l’étranger sans esprit de retour = He is living abroad without thinking of returning.
Il me paie de retour = He loves (or, hates) me as much as I love (or hate) him.
[E.g. “Vous dites que vous aimez votre mère, mais elle vous paie bien de retour.”]
Retourner
Je sais de quoi il retourne = I know how matters stand.
Retraite
Battre la retraite = To beat tattoo (or, the retreat.)
Battre en retraite = To retreat.
Retrouver
Je le retrouverai bien = He will not escape me.
Revendre
Avoir d’une chose à revendre = To have more than enough of a thing.
Revenir
*Revenons à nos moutons = But to return to our subject. (See Mouton.)
Vous en revenez toujours là = You are always harping on that string.
Je n’en reviens pas = I cannot get over it (astonishment).
[Or, pop., “j’en suis baba.”]
N’y revenez pas = (lit.) Do not come here again; (fig.) Do not do that again.
Cela revient à dire = That amounts to saying.
Cela revient au même = That is just the same thing.
Je reviens de loin = (lit.) I come from a long distance; (fig.) I am recovering from a long illness.
Son nom ne me revient pas = I do not recollect his name.
Sa figure me revient = I like his face.
Je suis bien revenu sur le compte de votre frère = I have lost all the illusions I had of your brother.
Rêver
Cet homme rêve tout éveillé = That man dreams with his eyes open.
Revers
*Toute médaille a son revers = There is a dark side to every picture.
Revoir
À revoir = To be revised.
Au revoir! = Till we meet again.
Richesse
La richesse rend honnête = Rich men have no faults.
[The bishop’s pun may be repeated: “Get on, get honour, get honest.”
“Quand on est couronnée, on a toujours le nez bien fait.”—Perrault, Les Souhaits ridicules.]
Rien
“Dans le siècle où nous sommes,
On ne donne rien pour rien”
= At the present day people give nothing for nothing, and
precious little for sixpence.
[Molière, École des Femmes, iii. 2. Rien here shows its derivation from rem (a thing). It was not always used with ne.]
Ne faites semblant de rien = Look as if nothing were the matter.
Comme si de rien n’était = As if nothing were the matter.
*Qui ne risque rien n’a rien = Nothing venture, nothing win.
[“Qui ne s’aventure perd cheval et mule.”]
*Qui ne demande rien n’a rien = Lose nothing for want of asking; If you do not ask, you will not get.
Il ne sait rien de rien = 1. He knows absolutely nothing. 2. He is quite in the dark.
En un rien de temps = In a trice.
En moins de rien = In less than no time.
Pas plus gros que rien = Next to nothing.
Il n’est rien moins que courageux = He is anything but courageous.
Pour rien au monde = Not for the life of me.
Rincer
Se rincer la dalle (pop.) = To wet one’s whistle.
Rire
*Rira bien qui rira le dernier = They have most to laugh at who laugh last; Let them laugh that win.
*Tel qui rit vendredi dimanche pleurera = Sorrow treads on the heels of mirth; Laugh to-day and cry to-morrow.
*Marchand qui perd ne peut rire = Let those laugh who win.
Il a toujours le mot pour rire = He is ever ready with a joke; He is full of fun.
Il m’a ri au nez = He laughed in my face.
Rire aux éclats = To roar with laughter.
Je me tordais de rire (fam.) = I was splitting my sides with laughter.
Il riait à gorge déployée = He was roaring with laughter.
Rire dans sa barbe (or, sous cape) = To laugh in one’s sleeve. (See Cape.)
Rire du bout des dents = To force a laugh.
Rire jaune = To laugh on the wrong side of one’s mouth.
Rire aux anges = 1. To laugh immoderately; 2. To laugh to oneself.
C’est un pince-sans-rire = He is a dry joker.
Risée
Il est la risée de tout le monde = He is the laughing-stock of every one.
Roche
C’est un homme de la vieille roche = He belongs to the good old stock; He is a man of the old school.
Clair comme de l’eau de roche = As clear as crystal.
Roi
C’est la cour du roi Pétaud = This is bedlam let loose; Dover Court—all speakers, no hearers.
[Le roi Pétaud (Lat. peto = I ask) was the chief that beggars
used to choose for themselves. As he had no more authority than
his subjects, the name is given to a house where every one is
master. Comp. Molière, Tartufe, i. 1.—
“On n’y respecte rien, chacun y parle haut,
Et c’est tout justement la cour du roi Pétaud.”
A variant is: “C’est une vraie pétaudière.”]
Le roi n’est pas son cousin = He is very haughty (so that he would not acknowledge the king as his cousin).
Rompre
Applaudir un acteur à tout rompre = To applaud an actor so as to bring the house down (to lift the roof).
Rondement
Il y va rondement = He acts frankly and quickly.
Il mènera cette affaire rondement = He will not dally about that matter.
Rôti
Il ne faut pas s’endormir sur le rôti = We must keep our wits about us; We must not neglect our work; We must not be too slow over it; We must not rest on our laurels.
[Literally, to go to sleep whilst cooking the meat.]
Roue
Il fait la roue = He shows off.
Rouge
Se fâcher tout rouge = To get into a passion.
Voir rouge = To be seized with a sudden thirst for blood.
Roulette
Cela marche comme sur des roulettes = That is getting on swimmingly.
Royaliste
Être plus royaliste que le roi (plus catholique que le pape) = To out-Herod Herod.
Royauté
“La royauté, place noyée de lumière où toute tache paraît une
fange sordide” =
“In that fierce light which beats upon a throne
And blackens every blot.”
[Tennyson, Idylls of the King, Dedication.]
Rubis
Faire (or, payer) rubis sur l’ongle = To pay to the last farthing.
[This expression means literally to drain a tumbler so completely
that there just remains in it one drop of wine, which being put on
the nail looks like a ruby.
“Je sirote mon vin, quel qu’il soit, vieux, nouveau;
Je fais rubis sur l’ongle, et n’y mets jamais d’eau.”
Regnard, Folies Amoureuses, iii. 4.]
Sac
*Autant pèche celui qui tient le sac que celui qui met dedans = The receiver is as bad as the thief.
[Wer die Letter hält ist so schuldig wie der Dieb.]
Tu sais que je n’ai plus le sac = You know I have no more money.
Un homme de sac et de corde = A regular ruffian.
Prendre quelqu’un la main dans le sac = To catch any one in the very act.
Il m’a laissé voir le fond du sac = I guessed his intentions in spite of him.
Juger sur l’étiquette du sac = To judge by appearances.
*Dans les petits sacs sont les fines épices = Little fellows are often great wits; Small parcels hold fine wares. (See Aune and Onguent.)
Tout le saint-frusquin (fam.) = The whole jolly lot (referring to money or clothes).
Toute la sainte journée = The whole blessed (or, livelong) day.
Salut
*À bon entendeur salut = A word to the wise is enough. Verb. sap. (See Avis.)
Sang
Cela fait faire du mauvais sang = That causes one to worry.
Suer sang et eau (fam.) = To strain every nerve.
*Bon sang ne peut mentir = Good breeding always shows itself; Like father, like son.
Sapin
Sa toux sent le sapin = He has a churchyard cough.
[Sapin = deal, of which coffins are made.]
Sauce
On ne sait à quelle sauce le mettre = There is no knowing what to do with him.
*Trop de cuisiniers gâtent la sauce = Too many cooks spoil the broth.
[Although this may be but a translation of the English proverb, it is of constant use in France.]
Saut
Il fait tout par sauts et par bonds = He does everything by fits and starts.
Sauter
Savoir
Je ne sais comment cela est arrivé = I am at a loss to explain how it happened.
Pas que je sache = Not to my knowledge.
Je suis tout je ne sais comment = I am out of sorts.
C’est à savoir = That remains to be seen.
Il en sait plus d’une (fam.) = He knows more than one trick; He knows a trick or two.
Il a beaucoup de savoir faire = He has his wits about him; He knows how to manage people.
Il a du savoir vivre = He knows how to behave; He is well bred.
Un je ne sais quoi = A “something” (I know not what).
*De savoir vient avoir = Knowledge is power.
*Qui plus sait plus se tait = A still tongue shows a wise head.
*Qui rien ne sait, de rien ne doute = Who knows nothing, doubts nothing; Ignorance is bliss.
Savon
Je lui donnerai un savon (fam.) = I will blow him up.
[German: Ich werde ihm den Kopf waschen.]
Scène
Je lui ai fait une scène = 1. I had a row with him. 2. I reproached (or, abused) him violently.
Scie
Quelle scie! (fam.) = What a bother!
Séance
Séance tenante = Forthwith; There and then.
C’est un grand sec = He is a tall, spare man.
Sec comme un pendu = As thin as a lath.
Boire sec = To drink hard.
Il est à sec (pop.) = He is hard up, broke, in low water.
Secours
Crier au secours = To cry for help.
Secret
*Secret de deux, secret de Dieu,
Secret de trois, secret de tous = No secret but between two.
Seigneur
*À tout seigneur tout honneur = Honour to whom honour is due.
Sel
Mettre du sel sous la queue d’un oiseau = To put salt on a bird’s tail.
Sellette
Mettre sur la sellette = To cross-question; To haul over the coals (fam.).
[La sellette was the small wooden seat on which a culprit sat during his trial.]
Semaine
Cet officier est de semaine = He is officer of the week.
Il dépensa toute sa semaine = He spent all his week’s wages (or, pocket-money).
Je le ferai la semaine des trois (quatre) jeudis = I shall do it in a week of Sundays (i.e. never).
[Also: Je le ferai quand les poules auront des dents.]
Prêter à la petite semaine = To lend money at high interest for a short time.
Semblable
A-t-on jamais vu rien de semblable? = Did you ever see such a thing?
Rien de semblable = Nothing of the sort.
Sembler
Comme bon vous semble = Just as you please.
Si bon vous semble = If you think fit.
Semelle
Lever la semelle devant quelqu’un = To show any one a clean pair of heels.
Sens
Sentir
Cela ne sent pas bon = (fig.) I don’t like the look of that.
Je ne me sens pas de joie = I am beside myself with joy.
Service
Qu’y a-t-il pour votre service? = What can I do for you?
Servir
Madame est servie = Dinner is served.
*À quoi sert de vous mettre en colère? = What is the use of getting angry?
Seul
Cela va tout seul = That is no trouble; That works of its own accord.
Si
Il n’y a pas de si qui fasse = There is no excuse for it.
Avec un si on mettrait Paris dans une bouteille = Such suppositions are idle; If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
Il n’est pas riche.—Oh! que si = He is not rich.—Isn’t he, though!
Sien
*Chacun le sien n’est pas trop = Let each have his own, then all is fair.
Il fait des siennes = He is up to his old tricks again.
Il en sera du sien = He will be a loser by it.
On n’est jamais trahi que par les siens = It is always one’s friends (or, confederates) who betray one.
Singe
Le singe est toujours singe, fût-il vêtu de pourpre =
An ape’s an ape, a varlet’s a varlet,
Though they be clad in silk or scarlet.
Il l’a payé en monnaie de singe = He paid him with promises; He jeered at him instead of paying him.
[This expression originated in the ordinance of St. Louis regulating the payment of the tolls at the gates of Paris. Showmen were exempted from payment on causing their apes to skip and dance in front of the toll-keeper. Comp. Estienne Boileau, Establissements des métiers de Paris, Chapitre del péage de Petit Pont:—“Li singes au marchant doibt quatre deniers, se il por vendre le porte: se li singes est a homme qui l’aist acheté por son déduit, si est quites, et se li singes est au joueur, jouer en doibt devant le péagier, et por son jeu doibt estre quites de toute la chose qu’il achète à son usage et aussitôt le jongleur sont quite por un ver de chanson.”]
Soif
*On ne saurait faire boire un âne s’il n’a soif = One man can take a horse to the water, but twenty cannot make him drink.
Solide
Il songe au solide = He has an eye to the main chance.
Soleil
Montrer le soleil avec un flambeau = To hold a farthing rushlight to the sun; To paint the lily.
Somme (m.)
Je n’ai fait qu’un somme = I never woke all night.
Somme (f.)
Somme toute = After all; Taking everything into consideration; To conclude.
En somme = On the whole; In the main.
Songe
“Puisqu’en vous il est faux que songes sont mensonges” = Since with you, it is untrue that dreams go by contraries.
[Molière, Étourdi, iv. 3.]
*Mal d’autrui n’est que songe = Other people’s woes do not affect us much.
C’est un songe-creux = He is full of idle fancies (or, day dreams); He is a wool-gatherer.
Sonner
Elle a quarante ans bien sonnés = She is over forty.
Il est trois heures sonnées = It has struck three.
Payer en bonnes espèces sonnantes (et trébuchantes) = To pay in hard cash.
Sornette
Il nous berce de sornettes = He puts us off with silly tales.
Sort
Sorte
Je lui ai parlé de la bonne sorte = I gave it him soundly; I gave him a piece of my mind.
Sortie
Il a fait une sortie = He flew into a passion.
Sot
C’est un sot en trois lettres = He is a thorough fool.
Quelque sot le ferait = One would be a fool to do that.
*A sotte question point de réponse = Answer a fool according to his folly; A silly question needs no answer.
Un sot trouve toujours un plus sot qui l’admire = Even a fool will always find admirers.
[Boileau, Art Poétique, 1.]
Il n’y a pas de sots métiers, il n’y a que de sottes gens = People may be petty, but work never is.
Sou
Il a fait de cent sous quatre livres, et de quatre livres rien = He has brought his noble to ninepence, and his ninepence to nothing.
[Livre here has nothing to do with our English pound sterling. It is practically the equivalent of the modern franc. Hence the proverb means: He reduced 100 sous to 80 sous.]
Une affaire de deux sous = A twopenny-halfpenny affair.
Cela vaut mille francs comme un sou = It is worth £40 if it is worth a penny.
Souche
C’est une vraie souche = He is a regular log.
Faire souche = To found a family.
Soufflet
Donner un soufflet à Vaugelas = To murder the King’s English; To offend Lindley Murray.
[Vaugelas (1585-1650) was a celebrated writer on French grammar, one of the first members of the Académie Française, and one of the chief contributors to its Dictionary. Comp. Molière, Les Femmes Savantes, ii. 7: “Elle y met Vaugelas en pièces tous les jours.” Donner un soufflet à Ronsard was also used, and, in the Middle Ages, Casser la tête de Priscien, from the famous grammarian of the fourth century.]
Souhait
| *Si souhaits fussent vrais, Pastoureaux rois seraient. |
} = { | If wishes were horses, Beggars would ride. |
[Compare Si.]
Souhaiter
Je t’en souhaite! (pop.) = I wish you may get it.
Souhaiter la bonne année à quelqu’un = To wish some one a happy new year.
Soûl
*A merle soûl cerises sont amères = Plenty makes dainty.
Parler tout son soûl (pop.) = To speak to one’s heart’s content.
Soulier
Être dans ses petits souliers = To be uneasy in one’s mind; To be on pins and needles.
Soumettre
Il faut se soumettre ou se démettre = One must knuckle under or clear out.
[Gambetta said this to Marshal MacMahon during the crisis of 16th May 1875.]
Soupe
S’emporter comme une soupe au lait = To fly into a passion without warning; To be of a very hasty temper.
Trempé comme une soupe = Wet to the skin; Dripping wet.
C’est un marchand de soupe. (See Marchand.)
Sourd
Sourd comme un pot = As deaf as a post.
*Vous faites la sourde oreille = None so deaf as those who will not hear.
Frapper comme un sourd = To beat unmercifully.
Il court un bruit sourd = A rumour is being whispered.
Ils ont recours à des menées sourdes = They have recourse to underhand dealings.
Sourdine
Il fait ses coups à la sourdine = He acts secretly, in an underhand manner.
Souris
*Souris qui n’a qu’un trou est bientôt prise = It is good to have more than one string to one’s bow.
*On entendrait trotter une souris (or, voler une mouche) = One could hear a pin drop.
Elle est éveillée comme une petite souris (or, comme une potée de souris) = She is as brisk as a bee.
Souvenir
Autant que je puisse m’en souvenir = To the best of my recollection.
C’est du plus loin qu’il me souvienne = 1. I can barely remember it. 2. It is as far back as I can recollect.
Souvent
Plus souvent! (fam.) = Not if I know it! Twice!
Sucre
Casser du sucre sur la tête de quelqu’un (pop.) = To speak ill of any one in his absence.
Suite
Cette maladie peut avoir des suites = That illness may have serious consequences.
Il n’a pas d’esprit de suite = He is not consistent; He keeps at nothing long.
Suite (of a serial story or article) = Continuation; Continued.
[Also: Suite et fin = Conclusion.
À suivre = To be continued.
La suite au prochain numéro = To be continued in our next.]
Sujet
Être sujet à l’heure = To be tied to time.
Être sujet à caution = Not to be relied upon. (See Caution.)
C’est un mauvais sujet = He is a scamp, “a bad lot.”
[This is used in speaking of tiresome children, of flighty young men, and of real rogues.]
Petit mauvais sujet! = Little rascal! (to children).
Supplice
Être au supplice = To be on thorns.
Table
Tenir table ouverte = To keep open house.
Faire table rase = To make a clean sweep and begin again; To start everything afresh.
Jouer cartes sur table = To act frankly, above board.
Tâche
Prendre à tâche = To make it one’s business.
Travailler à la tâche = To work by the piece.
Taillable
Vilains taillables et corvéables à merci = Serfs taxable and workable at their lord’s will and pleasure.
Taille
Il est de taille à se défendre = He is big enough to defend himself.
“Ils nous ont fait une France à leur taille” (Béranger) = They have brought France down to their level.
Se tenant par la taille = With their arms round each other’s waists.
Frapper d’estoc et de taille = 1. To cut and thrust. 2. To hit right and left; To lay about one.
Talon
Il a l’esprit aux talons = He shines at the wrong end; He is not witty.
La bande se dispersa, les talons aux épaules = The gang took to their heels.
J’ai l’estomac dans les talons = I am very hungry.
Tambour
On l’a mené tambour battant = They led him with a high hand; They played the martinet with him.
Il sortirent tambour battant, mèche allumée = They went out with all the honours of war.
Tous tant que nous sommes = Every one of us.
Être tant à tant = To be even (in a game).
Si cela vous ennuie tant soit peu, ne le faites pas = If that is the least trouble, do not do it.
Elle n’est pas jolie, tant s’en faut = She is not pretty, far from it; She is anything but good-looking.
Vous m’en direz tant = That alters the case; Ah! now I understand. (See Dire.)
Est-ce qu’elle est belle?—Elle est comme il y en a tant = Is she beautiful?—Nothing to stare at; Nothing out of the common.
Vous l’avez fait tant bien que mal = You did it in a casual (off-hand) way.
Je l’ai fait tant bien que mal = I did it as well as I could, though I know it is not well done.
Si tant est que .... = If it be true that....
Tapis
Être sur le tapis = To be the subject of general conversation; To be broached.
Amuser le tapis (or, la galerie) = To amuse people by talking the time away.
Tapisserie
Faire tapisserie (fam.) = To be a wall-flower at a ball.
Tard
*Mieux vaut tard que jamais = Better late than never.
[This is first found in Dionysius of Halicarnassus (ix. 11): “It is better beginning late doing our duties than never.”]
Tarder
Il me tarde de parler = I am anxious to speak.
Il ne tardera pas à venir = It will not be long before he comes.
Tarte
C’est sa tarte à la crème = It is his one constant objection.
[Molière, École des Femmes, i. 1.]
*Tel maître, tel valet = Like master, like man; Like well, like bucket.
[“Selon le clerc est deu le maistre.”—Villon, Grand Testament, 568.]
*Telle vie, telle fin = Men die as they live.
Je vous le rends tel quel = I return it to you just as it was lent to me.
Je la prendrai telle quelle = I will take it just as it is.
Ce sont des gens tels quels (fam.) = They are “no great shakes,” just ordinary people, humdrum people.
Tel est pris qui croyait prendre = It is a case of the biter bit.
Monsieur un tel = Mr. So-and-so.
Temps
Il se donne du bon temps = He does not work too hard; He enjoys himself; He has a good time of it.
Il prend le temps comme il vient = He takes things easily.
Cela a fait son temps = That has had its day.
*Du temps que Berthe filait = When the world was young; When Adam delved and Eve span.
Si le temps le permet = Wind and weather permitting.
Le temps est à la pluie = It looks like rain.
Le temps perdu ne se répare (or, rattrape) pas = Time wasted is gone indeed.
*Qui a temps a vie = While there is life, there is hope; Dum spiro spero.
Par le temps qui court = Nowadays; As times go.
*Autres temps, autres mœurs = Manners change with the times.
Au temps! = As you were! (military command).
[This is sometimes incorrectly written “Autant,” but military movements were formerly divided into temps. When the drill-sergeant makes a mistake in giving the word of command, he says, “Au temps pour moi” = “My mistake, as you were!”]