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Quiz about French Equivalents of English Idioms

French Equivalents of English Idioms Quiz

How good are you at bridging the idiomatic gap between English and French?

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
flem-ish

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
159,841

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
999

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. How would a French(wo) man say about somebody that he "takes French leave"? Hint

Il file � l'anglaise.

Il 's en va � toute vitesse.

Il file � l'indienne.

Il tombe dans les pommes.

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. How does a French(wo)man say: "you should not put the fox to watch the geese"? Hint

Il ne faut pas mettre le renard parmi les poules.

Il ne faut pas enfermer le loup dans la bergerie.

Il ne faut pas enfermer le chien dans le poulailler.

Il ne faut pas ouvrir la cage aux oiseaux quand le chat est dans la maison.

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. How does a French(wo)man say that (s) he has "other fish to fry"? Hint

J'ai d'autres poissons � cuire

J'ai d'autre gibier � chasser

J'ai d'autres souris � attraper

J'ai d' autres chats � fouetter

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. How does the French language express the idea that somebody is looking for something that cannot be found because it does not exist? Hint

chercher une poule aux oeufs dor�s

chercher un merle blanc � pattes dor�es

chercher un coq � trois ailes

rechercher le mouton � cinq pattes

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. How would a French(wo)man say : to call a spade a spade? Hint

appeler un chien un chien

appeler un chat un chat

appeler un couteau un couteau

appeler une carotte une carotte

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. How does a French(wo)man say : it's all Greek to me? Hint

c'est de l'arabe pour moi.

c'est du russe pour moi.

c'est du japonais pour moi.

c'est de l' h�breu pour moi.

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. How does a French(wo)man say "it's in the bag"- in the sense of: it's settled, it's o.k.? Hint

c'est dans la baguette

c'est dans le bagage

c'est dans la pochette

c'est dans le sac

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. What will somebody who is "deaf as a post" be called by a French(wo)man? Hint

sourd comme la Poste

sourd comme une caille

sourd comme un poteau

sourd comme un pot

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Question 9 of 10

9. If somebody is very strong, English-speakers may call that person: "strong as an ox". French people might say: Hint

fort comme un Turc

fort comme un loup

fort comme un �l�phant

fort comme un ours

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Question 10 of 10

10. How does a French(wo)man say: to talk nineteen to the dozen? Hint

bavarder comme une pie

causer chiffons

parler comme un perroquet

causer de la pluie et du beau temps

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Nov 07 2024 : Waldkaeuzchen: 4/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. How would a French(wo) man say about somebody that he "takes French leave"?

Answer: Il file � l'anglaise.

Tomber dans les pommes: to faint.
File indienne: Indian or single file.

2. How does a French(wo)man say: "you should not put the fox to watch the geese"?

Answer: Il ne faut pas enfermer le loup dans la bergerie.

Bergerie: the sheep pen. Le poulailler: the hen house.

3. How does a French(wo)man say that (s) he has "other fish to fry"?

Answer: J'ai d' autres chats � fouetter

Chasser: to hunt. Gibier: game. Attraper: to catch. Fouetter: to whip.
Cuire: to boil; to cook.

4. How does the French language express the idea that somebody is looking for something that cannot be found because it does not exist?

Answer: rechercher le mouton � cinq pattes

Un merle blanc would be a white blackbird. A rare bird indeed. But the
'pattes dor�es' are not part of the idiom.
Une poule aux oeufs d'or: the hen that lays the golden eggs. Dor�s: gilt eggs.
'Mouton � cinq pattes' happens to be a French wine label.
You can also say: demander la lune ('to ask for the moon'). As is done by Caligula in Albert Camus' play of that name.
Chercher midi � quatorze heures is an altogether different thing.It means: to look for difficulties when there are none.
French also has an expression :chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin.
This is the equivalent of: "to look for a needle in a haystack".

5. How would a French(wo)man say : to call a spade a spade?

Answer: appeler un chat un chat

Literally translated, a spade is "une pelle" or "une b�che".
Couteau= knife. Carotte= carrot.

6. How does a French(wo)man say : it's all Greek to me?

Answer: c'est de l' h�breu pour moi.

In the Middle Ages the three most important languages for study-purposes were Hebrew, Latin and Greek.
Another way of expressing the same idea is: "C'est du chinois pour moi."
The Italians say: "Questo � arabo per me".

7. How does a French(wo)man say "it's in the bag"- in the sense of: it's settled, it's o.k.?

Answer: c'est dans le sac

Bagage = luggage. Pochette: small bag. Baguette: French style bread. French stick.
In Belgium they might say "c'est dans la sacoche", which means "It's in the handbag". Other correct ways of expressing this idea: "C'est dans la poche" and "L'affaire est dans le sac".

8. What will somebody who is "deaf as a post" be called by a French(wo)man?

Answer: sourd comme un pot

Poteau= pole, post. In Dutch there is an expression that links deafness with quails.

9. If somebody is very strong, English-speakers may call that person: "strong as an ox". French people might say:

Answer: fort comme un Turc

France seems to have had bad experiences with the Ottoman Empire.
French also says: fort comme un boeuf.

10. How does a French(wo)man say: to talk nineteen to the dozen?

Answer: bavarder comme une pie

Causer de la pluie et du beau temps means to chat about everyday topics.
Causer chiffons= to talk business. Literally: to talk rags.
Une pie= a magpie. Perroquet: parrot.

Source: Author flem-ish

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