“Button monday with tuesday” and other French Daily Idioms

These are very common French idioms. Have fun!

• “Pas des masses” : not some masses (no much).
• “D’un trait (ou d’une traite)” : in a drop (in one go)
• “Rattraper le coup” : to catch the deal (patch it up)
• “C’était couru” : it was run (foregone conclusion)
• “C’est l’idée qu’on s’en fait” : it’s the idea that one makes (that’s the idea)
• “Boutonner lundi avec mardi” : to button monday with tuesday (button the wrong hole)
• “Avoir des atomes crochus” : to have hooked atoms (to have a lot in common)
• “Donner du fil à retordre à quelqu’un” : to give somebody some yarn to twist again (to give somebody a hard time)
• “Il y a anguille sous roche” : there’s eel under rock (there’s something fishy going on)
• “Faut c’qu’y faut” (pronounce “foskifo”) : must what must (we needed this). For example to warm up a coffee in a microwave you need at least one minute, faut c’qu’y faut.
• “Quand le chat n’est pas là les souris dansent” : when the cat’s away, mice… dance!

Have a nice day!

JP