surrounded by fools, but at court too. It must not be forgotten
that _le fou_ is called _the bishop_ in the English game.]
_Il est fou à lier_ (or, _fou furieux_) = He is raving mad.
_Il vaut mieux être fou avec tous que sage tout seul_ = “One had
as good be out of the world as out of the fashion.”
[COLLEY CIBBER, _Love’s Last Shift_, Act ii.]
_La Folle du Logis_ = Fancy, imagination.
Fouet
_Il ne marche qu’à coups de fouet_ = He works only when he is
compelled.
Fouetter
_Fouette, cocher!_ = Fire away! Go ahead!
Four
_Il fait noir comme dans un four_ = It is as dark as pitch.
[MOLIÈRE, _Le Sicilien_, ii.]
_Faire un four_ = To make a blunder.
_Cette pièce a fait four_ = That piece was a failure, a frost.
_On ne peut être au four et au moulin_ = One cannot be in two
places at the same time.
Fourchette
_Une bonne fourchette_ = A good trencherman.
Fourgon
*_La pelle se moque du fourgon_ = The pot calls the kettle black.
Fourreau
*_L’épée_ (or, _la lame_) _use le fourreau_ = The mind is too
active for the body.
[“A fiery soul, which, working out its way,
Fretted the pigmy body to decay.”
DRYDEN, _Absalom and Achitophel_, i.]
Fourrer
_Il ne savait où se fourrer_ = He did not know where to hide his
head.
_Il faut qu’il fourre le doigt_ (or, more fam., _nez_) _partout_
= He must have a finger in every one’s pie.
Frais
_En être pour ses frais_ = To have lost one’s money (_or_, pains)
for nothing.
_Faire des frais_ = (lit.) To go to expense; (fig.) To make
efforts to please.
_Faire ses frais_ = To cover one’s expenses.
_Faire les frais de la conversation_ = 1. To keep a conversation
going. 2. To be (oneself) the subject of conversation.
Français
_En bon français_ = (lit.) In good French; (fig.) In plain
English (_i.e._ without mincing matters).
_Parler français comme une vache espagnole_ = To speak French
very badly.
[This is said to be a corruption of _comme un Basque espagnol_
(formerly written _Vace_). The Basques speak French with a very
bad accent, owing to their language having no relation whatever
to the Romance tongues.]
Franquette
_Recevoir quelqu’un à la bonne franquette_ = To treat a person
without ceremony.
Frein
_Ronger son frein_ = To put up with annoyance in silence.
_A vieille mule frein doré_ = Old women have the finest clothes.
Friandise
_Aimer les friandises (chatteries)_ = To have a sweet tooth.
Friser
_Elle frise la quarantaine_ = She is just upon forty.
Froid
_Cela se mange froid_ = (lit.) That is eaten cold; (fig.) That is
a matter of no importance; That is easily done.
_Il n’a pas froid aux yeux_ = He is a plucky fellow.
_Il fait un froid de loup_ = It is terribly cold.
Front
_Vous heurtez de front tous ses préjugés_ = You run counter to
(_or_, openly attack) all his prejudices.
_Il mène plusieurs affaires de front_ = He carries on several
schemes simultaneously; He has many irons in the fire.
_Marcher de front_ = To walk abreast.
Frotter
*_Qui s’y frotte s’y pique_ = Whoever meddles with it, will smart
for it.
[Compare the motto of the Order of the Thistle: Nemo me impune
lacessit.]
_Je ne vous conseille pas de vous y frotter_ = I advise you not
to meddle with it.
_On l’a frotté d’importance_ (or, _comme il faut_) = He got a
good drubbing.
Fuite
_Une bonne fuite vaut mieux qu’une mauvaise attente_ = Discretion
is the better part of valour.
Fumée
_Manger son pain à la fumée du rôt_ = To see others enjoying
themselves without joining in.
_Il n’y a pas de feu sans fumée_ = There is no smoke without fire.
[Though the French form is not exact, it is preferred to “_il
n’y a pas de fumée sans feu_” for rhythmical reasons. Compare
PLAUTUS, _Curculio_, i. 1, 53, “Flamma fumo est proxima.”]
Fur
_Au fur et à mesure_ = In proportion as.
Fureur
_Cela fait fureur maintenant_ = That is quite the rage now; That
is all the go now.
Fusil
_Changer son fusil d’épaule_ = To change one’s opinion,
profession, tactics.
[A more familiar expression is _retourner sa veste_ = to be a
turn-coat.]
G.
Gaffe
_Faire une gaffe_ = To put one’s foot in it; To make a stupid
blunder.
Gageure
*_La gageure est la preuve des sots_ =
“Most men (till by losing rendered sager),
Will back their own opinions with a wager.”
[BYRON, _Beppo_, 27.]
Gagner
*_Qui épargne gagne_ = A penny saved is a penny earned.
_Il gagne à être connu_ = He improves upon acquaintance.
Gai
_Il est gai comme un pinson_ = He is as merry as a grig, as a
lark.
_Il est gai comme un bonnet de nuit_ (ironic.) = He is as dull as
ditchwater. (See _Bonnet_.)
Gaieté
_De gaieté de cœur_ = Out of pure wantonness.
Gaillard
_Être sur le gaillard d’avant_ = To serve before the mast; To be
a common seaman.
Galère
_Vogue la galère!_ = Happen what may! “Go it, ye cripples!”
*“_Que diable allait-il faire dans cette galère?_” = Whatever
induced him to get into that fix? Whatever business had he there?
[MOLIÈRE, _Fourberies de Scapin_, ii. II, imitated from a scene
of _Le Pédant joué_ by Cyrano de Bergerac, as is noted by M.
Edmond Rostand in his play, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” v. 6:
_Rag._ Hier on jouait _Scapin_
Et j’ai vu qu’il vous a pris une scène.
_Le Bret._ Entière!
_Rag._ Oui, Monsieur, le fameux: “Que diable allait-il faire?”
In Molière, Scapin, the amusing but rascally servant of farce,
in order to obtain more money out of Géronte, the father of his
young master, Léandre, pretends that the latter has been taken
prisoner on board a Turkish galley and that the captain demands
500 crowns as ransom. Géronte in the dilemma of losing either his
money or his son, at last parts with his treasured gold, but not
without repeating several times in heartfelt sorrow, “_Que diable
allait-il faire dans cette galère?_”]
Galeux
*_Il ne faut qu’une brebis galeuse pour infecter tout un
troupeau_ = One scabby sheep will taint a whole flock.
*_Qui se sent galeux, se gratte_ (fam.) = If the cap fits, wear
it. (See _Morveux_.)
Galon
_Quand on prend du galon on n’en saurait trop prendre_ = As well
be hanged for a sheep as a lamb; One cannot make too much of a
favourable opportunity.
[This is a parody of a line in Quinault’s _Roland_, ii. 5: “Quand
on prend de l’amour, on n’en saurait trop prendre.”]
Gant
_Il s’en donne les gants_ = He takes the credit of it.
[It was the custom to give a pair of gloves to the messenger who
first brought a piece of good news.]
_Cela me va comme un gant_ = That fits me to a T; That suits me
down to the ground.
Garçon
_Vous voilà joli garçon!_ = A pretty fellow you are!
Garde
_Mon chien est de bonne garde_ = Mine is a good watch-dog.
_Ces poires sont de bonne garde_ = These pears will keep well.
_Il n’a garde de venir_ = He will take care to keep away; There
is no chance of his coming.
Garder
_Il vous en garde une bonne_ (pop.) = He is keeping a rod in
pickle for you.
_Gardez-vous en bien!_ = Mind you do not do it!
Gaspiller
_Ce garçon gaspille son temps_ = That boy fools his time away.
Geler
_Geler à pierre fendre_ = To freeze very hard.
Gémir
_Faire gémir la presse_ (ironic.) = To print one’s writings.
Gêne
_Il est sans gêne_ = He is free and easy (casual, off-hand); He
makes himself too much at home.
*_Où il y a de la gêne il n’y a pas de plaisir_ (ironic.) = There
is nothing like making one’s self at home everywhere.
_Il a connu la gêne_ = He knows what want is.
Gêner
_Est-ce que je vous gêne?_ = Am I in your way?
_Ne vous gênez pas!_ = Do not stand upon ceremony! Make yourself
at home! Don’t mind me!
_Il ne se gêne guère_ = Doesn’t he make himself at home! Well, he
is a cool customer!
_Il est plus gênant que gêné_ = His free and easy manners are
unpleasant to others, but he does not mind that.
Gens
*_A gens de village, trompette de bois_ = Rough tools for rough
work.
Gésir
*_C’est là que gît le lièvre_ = That is the main point; There’s
the rub.
Gibier
_C’est un gibier de potence_ = He is a gallows-bird.
Gloire
“J’aime mieux, n’en déplaise à la gloire,
Vivre au monde deux jours que mille ans dans l’histoire.”
MOLIÈRE, _La Princesse d’Élide_, i. 2.
Contrast:
“One crowded hour of glorious life
Is worth an age without a name.”
Sir WALTER SCOTT, _Old Mortality_, Chap. 34.
Gond
_Cela me fait sortir des gonds_ = That exasperates (unhinges) me.
Gorge
_Cette fumée me prend à la gorge_ = That smoke makes me cough,
chokes me.
_Il cria à pleine gorge_ = He cried out as loud as he could.
_Il fera des gorges chaudes du malheur de sa tante_ = He will
chuckle over (_or_, make fun of) his aunt’s misfortune.
[“_Prétend qu’elle en fera gorge chaude et curée._”
LA FONTAINE, _Fables_, iv. 12.]
_Rendre gorge_ = To have to pay back money unjustly acquired; To
disgorge one’s ill-gotten gains.
Gourme
_Ce jeune homme jette sa gourme_ = That young man is sowing his
wild oats.
Goût
*_Des goûts et des couleurs il ne faut (pas) discuter_ =
There is no disputing about tastes.
*_À chacun son goût_ = Tastes differ.
[Colloquially the _à_ is omitted and the phrase becomes _chacun
son goût_. The Dictionnaire de l’Académie gives: _Chacun_ a _son
goût_.]
Goutte
_Je n’y vois goutte_ = I cannot see at all.
*_Goutte à goutte on emplit la cuve_ = Many a little makes a
mickle.
*_Ils se ressemblent comme deux gouttes d’eau_ = They are as like
as two peas.
_C’est une goutte d’eau dans la mer_ = It is a drop in the ocean.
_Boire la goutte_ (fam.) = To have a drop; To take a nip.
_Payer la goutte_ (fam.) = To stand something to drink.
Grâce
_Faites-moi grâce de vos observations, je vous en prie_ = Pray
spare me your remarks.
Grain
_Veillez au grain_ = Keep a sharp look-out.
_Avoir un grain de folie_ = To be a little cracked.
Graine
_Ces plantes sont montées en graine_ = Those plants have run to
seed.
_C’est de la graine de niais_ = That is something to deceive
fools with.
Grand
*_Les grands sont les plus exposés aux coups du sort_ = High
winds blow on high hills.
_Faire quelque chose en grand_ = To do something on a large scale.
Grandeur
_Un buste de grandeur naturelle_ = A life-size bust.
Gré
*_Bon gré, mal gré_ = Whether you wish or not; Nolens volens;
Willy-nilly.
_Cette maison a été vendue de gré à gré_ = That house was sold by
private contract.
_Il le fera de gré ou de force_ = He will have to do it whether
he likes it or not.
_Il venait moitié de gré, moitié de force_ = He came somewhat
reluctantly.
_De son plein gré_ = Of his own accord.
_De plein gré_ = Voluntarily.
_Nous vous en saurons bon gré_ = We shall be obliged to you for
it.
_Je me sais bon gré de ne l’avoir pas fait_ = I am thankful I did
not do it.
Grelot
*_Attacher le grelot_ = To bell the cat.
[This phrase arises from the fable (LA FONTAINE, ii. 2) of
the rats who held a council as to how they might best defend
themselves from the cat. They resolved to hang a bell round his
neck, so that they might hear him coming and run away. But the
difficulty was to find a volunteer “to bell the cat.” In Scottish
history Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449-1514), was
called Bell-the-Cat. James III. used to make favourites of
architects and masons. The Scotch nobles held a council in the
Church of Lauder for the purpose of putting down these upstarts.
Lord Gray asked who would bell the cat. “That will I,” said
Douglas, and fearlessly he put the minions to death in the King’s
presence. Compare SCOTT, _Marmion_, v. 14. The Greek equivalent,
Ξυρεῖν λέοντα (= to shave the lion) occurs in Plato, Republic,
341 C. The refrain of Eustace Deschamps’ Ballade 58 is: “Qui
pendra la sonnette au chat?”]
Grenier
_Il va de la cave au grenier_ = 1. He rambles in his talk. 2. He
writes very unevenly (up and down).
Grippe
_Il m’a pris en grippe_ = He has taken a dislike to me.
Gris
_Il en a vu de grises_ = He had an unpleasant time of it.
_Il lui en a fait voir de grises_ = He plagued him terribly.
Grive
*_Faute de grives on mange des merles_ = Half a loaf is better
than no bread. (See _Aimer_.)
Gros
_Ils se sont dit de gros mots_ = They came to high words; They
insulted (slanged) one another.
_La servante fait le gros de la besogne_ (or, _la grosse
besogne_) = The servant does the heavy work.
_Il n’a qu’un gros bon sens_ = He has only plain common-sense.
_Vous avez touché la grosse corde_ = You have come to the main
point.
_Vendre en gros et en détail_ = To sell wholesale and retail.
Grue
_Il m’a fait faire le pied de grue pendant deux heures_ = He made
me wait two hours for him; I was dancing attendance on him for
two hours.
[“Faites vous sus un pied toute la nuict la grue?”
RÉGNIER, _Sat._ xi.]
Guerre
*_À la guerre comme à la guerre_ = One must take things as they
come; We must take the rough with the smooth.
_Je l’ai fait de guerre lasse_ = Weary of resistance I did it for
the sake of peace and quiet.
*_Qui terre a, guerre a_ = Much coin, much care; Much land, many
lawsuits.
[Voltaire’s variant was: “Qui plume a, guerre a.”]
_Ça, c’est de bonne guerre_ = He has only used fair means to
defend himself (_or_, attack you); He has acted within his
rights, you cannot complain.
Guide
_Mener la vie à grandes guides_ = (lit.) To drive life four in
hand; (fig.) To live a very fast life.
Guillot
*_Qui croit guiller Guillot, Guillot le guille_ =
“He that seeks others to beguile
Is oft overtaken in his wile.”
The biter bit.
[“For often he that will begyle
Is gyled with the same gyle,
And thus the gyler is begyled.”
GOWER, _Confessio Amantis_, 135.
“For ’tis the sport to have the enginer
Hoist with his own petar.”
_Hamlet_, iii. 4.]
Guise
_Il fait_ (or, _agit_) _toujours à sa guise_ = He always goes his
own way; He always acts according to his own sweet will.
H.
Habit
*_L’habit ne fait pas le moine_ = The cowl does not make the
friar; The coat does not make the gentleman.
_Prendre l’habit_ = To become a monk or a nun (of the latter, To
take the veil).
Habitué
_Ce monsieur est un de nos habitués_ = That gentleman is one of
our regular customers.
Hache
_Cela est fait à coups de hache_ (or, _serpe_) = That is done
clumsily, roughly.
Hacher
_Je les hacherais menu comme chair à pâté_ = I would make
mincemeat of them.
Haleine
_J’ai couru à perte d’haleine_ = I ran until I was out of breath.
_Ce sont des phrases à perte d’haleine_ = Those are very
long-winded sentences.
_Il faut tenir les gens en haleine_ = One must keep the ball
rolling.
_C’est un ouvrage de longue haleine_ = It’s a long job, a heavy
piece of work.
Halle
_Le langage des Halles_ = Billingsgate.
[Also: _des injures de carrefour_.]
Hallebarde
_Cela rime comme hallebarde et miséricorde_ = That does not rhyme
at all.
[The usual explanation of this expression is, that, on the death
of the verger of St. Eustache, one of his friends--a small
shopkeeper of the neighbourhood--wished to write an epitaph for
his tomb. Being entirely ignorant of the rules of verse, he
composed the following:--
“Ci-gît mon ami Mardoche
Il a voulu être enterré à Saint Eustache
Il y porta trente-deux ans la hallebarde
Dieu lui fasse miséricorde.”
(Par son ami, J. Cl. Bombet, 1727.)
But in reality the proverb is much older. It dates from the time
of the old versifiers, one of whose rules was that two consonants
followed by an _e_ mute were sufficient to form a feminine rhyme.
This led to abuses like the above, and this rule was superseded
by another, that the vowel preceding the two consonants must be
alike in both cases.]
Hanter
_Dis-moi qui tu hantes, je te dirai qui tu es_ = A man is known
by his company; Birds of a feather flock together.
Haro
_Crier haro sur quelqu’un_ = To raise an outcry against any one.
[“À ces mots on cria haro sur le baudet.”
LA FONTAINE, _Fables_, vii. 1.
The origin of the word _haro_ is disputed; Littré quotes Diez,
who connects it with O.H.G. _hera_ = here. The old opinion was
that it was derived from _Ha-Raoul_, an appeal to Rollo, or
Hrolf, first Duke of Normandy, and a mighty lawgiver. However,
within living recollection the cry of _Ha-Ro! à l’aide, mon
Prince!_ was used in the Channel Islands as a protection against
force and fraud, when no other defence was possible. See a
curious tale in “The Gossiping Guide to Jersey,” by J. Bertrand
Payne, London, 1863, p. 15.]
Hasard
_Il corrige le hasard_ = He cheats at play.
[“La fortune est redevenue mauvaise, il faut la corriger.”
HAMILTON, _Mémoires de Grammont_, iii.]
Hâte
*_Trop de hâte gâte tout_ = The more haste, the less speed.
[Also: _Plus on se hâte, moins on avance_; _Hâtez-vous lentement_
(Lat. _Festina lente_); _Assez tôt si bien_; and the English
popular proverb, “Do nothing hastily save catching of fleas.”]
Hâter
*_Ouvrage hâté, ouvrage gâté_ = Haste makes waste.
Haut
_Tomber de son haut_ = (fig.) To be thunder-struck.
_Regarder de haut en bas_ = To treat contemptuously; To look down
upon with contempt.
_Il y a du haut et du bas dans la vie_ = Life has its ups and
downs.
_Haut le pied!_ = Be off!
Herbe
*_Mauvaise herbe croît toujours_ = Ill weeds grow apace.
_Votre rival vous coupera l’herbe sous le pied_ = Your rival will
cut you out, will take the wind out of your sails, will cut the
ground from under your feet.
_L’herbe sera bien courte s’il ne trouve à brouter_ = It will go
hard if he does not pick up a living; He would live on nothing.
_C’est un avocat en herbe_ = He is studying for the bar; He is a
sucking barrister.
Heure
_A l’heure qu’il est on ne le fait plus_ = Nowadays it is no
longer done.
_A l’heure qu’il est il doit savoir la nouvelle_ = By this time
no doubt he has heard the news.
_Faites-le sur l’heure_ = Do it this very minute.
_Je partirai tout à l’heure_ = I will start presently.
_Je l’ai vu tout à l’heure_ = I saw him just now, not long ago.
_A la bonne heure!_ = Well done!; That’s right!; Capital!; That
is something like!
_Le quart d’heure de Rabelais_ = The moment of payment (_or_,
suspense).
[On returning from Italy, Rabelais found himself in the south of
France with no more money to continue his journey to Paris. He
had dined well at an inn, and while waiting for his reckoning, he
packed up some dust in small packets which he labelled, “Poison
for the King,” “Poison for the Dauphin,” and so on. The innkeeper
noticing these packets and their terrible inscriptions, informed
the police, who took Rabelais to Paris free of charge to suffer
the penalty of treason. When he was brought before the King, the
monarch laughed heartily at the tale and let him go free.]
_Passer un mauvais quart d’heure_ = To have a bad time of it.
Histoire
_Voilà bien des histoires pour si peu de chose!_ = What a fuss
about nothing.
_Voilà bien une autre histoire!_ = That is quite another thing.
_Histoire_ (or, _Chansons_) _que tout cela!_ = That is all stuff
and nonsense.
_Le plus beau de l’histoire c’était qu’il n’en savait rien_ = The
best of the joke was he knew nothing about it.
_Histoire de rire_ = 1. For the fun of the thing. 2. It was only
a joke.
Hommage
_Hommage de l’auteur_ = With the author’s compliments.
Homme
*_L’homme propose et Dieu dispose_ = Man proposes, God disposes.
[Also: “_L’homme s’agite et Dieu le mène._”
FÉNELON, _Sermon pour la Fête de l’Épiphanie_, 1685.
“A man’s heart deviseth his way, but the Lord directeth his
steps.”--PROVERBS xvi. 9.
“There’s a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough hew them how we will.”--_Hamlet_, v. 2.
German: Der Mensch denkt, Gott lenkt.]
*_Le style c’est l’homme_ = Style is the man himself; Like
author, like book.
[“Ces choses sont hors de l’homme, le style est l’homme
même.”--BUFFON, _Discours de Réception à l’Académie_, 1753.
There has been much discussion as to what Buffon really did
write, whether _le style est l’homme même_ or _le style est_ DE
_l’homme même_. In most editions after that of Didot (1843) the
latter form will be found, whilst in editions from 1800-1843 the
phrase is absent altogether. In the _Recueil de l’Académie_ it is
printed _le style est l’homme même_, and of this the proofs were
probably corrected by Buffon himself. There is a small pamphlet,
_Discours prononcé dans l’Académie française, par M. de Buffon,
le samedi 25 août 1753_, which is probably earlier still, in
which it is also printed thus. However this may be, the phrase
“le style c’est l’homme,” which Buffon assuredly did _not_ write,
has become a French proverb, and is in everyday use.]
Honneur
_Nous jouons pour l’honneur_ = We are playing for love.
*_Un homme d’honneur n’a que sa parole_ = An honest man’s word is
as good as his bond.
_Il fait honneur à ses affaires_ (comm.) = He meets all his
engagements.
_Il ne prétend à votre fille qu’en tout bien tout honneur_ = He
has honourable intentions towards your daughter.
Honte
_Nous lui avons fait honte_ = 1. We caused him to feel ashamed of
himself. 2. He was ashamed of us.
Honteux
*_Jamais honteux n’eut belle amie_ = Faint heart never won fair
lady.
*_Il n’y a que les honteux qui perdent_ = Nothing ask, nothing
have.
Hors
_Hors ligne_ = Standing out from the rest; Out of the common run;
Beyond comparison; Incomparable.
_Ce peintre est hors concours_ = That artist is no longer a
competitor (having already received the highest award).
Hôte
*_Qui compte sans son hôte compte deux fois_ = He who reckons
without his host must reckon again.
Huile
_Sentir l’huile_ = To smell of the lamp (of poetry, etc.).
_Il tirerait de l’huile d’un mur_ = He would skin a flint, get
blood from a stone. (See _Cheveux_ and _Œuf_.)
[Aquam a pumice postulare.--PLAUTUS.]
_De l’huile de bras_ = Elbow grease.
Huis
_A huis clos_ = With closed doors; in camera.
I.
Image
_Cette petite fille est sage comme une image_ = That little girl
is very quiet, is as good as gold.
Importance
_Faire l’homme d’importance_ = To play the consequential; To give
oneself airs; To be pompous.
Importer
_Qu’importe?_ = No matter! It is of no consequence.
_Que m’importe?_ = What is that to me?
_Peu importe_ = It does not much matter.
_Venez n’importe quand_ = Come at any time, no matter when,
whenever you please.
Impossible
*_A l’impossible nul n’est tenu_ = There is no doing
impossibilities; No living man all things can.
Index
_Les grévistes mirent cette boutique à l’index_ = The strikers
boycotted that shop.
[The _Index Expurgatorius_ is a list of books compiled for the
Pope which Roman Catholics are forbidden to read.]
Injure
_Ils se sont dit mille injures_ = They abused one another like
pickpockets.
_Vous lui faites injure_ = You wrong him.
Inscrire
_Je m’inscris en faux contre cette assertion_ = I emphatically
deny the truth of that assertion.
Insu
_Il sortit à mon insu_ = He went out without my knowing it.
Intelligence
_Vivre en bonne intelligence avec quelqu’un_ = To live on good
terms with some one.
Intention
*_L’intention est réputée pour le fait_ = The will is taken for
the deed.
_J’ai mis ce livre de côté à voire intention_ = I put that book
on one side especially for you (to read, to see).
J.
Jamais
_Au grand jamais_ = Never, no never.
Jambe
_Il court à toutes jambes_ = He is running as fast as his legs
will carry him.
[Compare: _à toute bride_, _à toute vapeur_, _à toute vitesse_.]
_Il a pris ses jambes à son cou_ = He took to his heels.
_Il a joué des jambes_ = He took to flight.
_Il a des jambes de quinze ans_ = He still walks well.
_Cela ne lui rend pas la jambe mieux faite!_ (ironic.) = And a
lot of good that will do him!
_Cela vous ferait une belle jambe_ (ironic.) = A fine lot of good
that will do you.
_Il a les jambes en manche de veste_ (fam.) = He is bow-legged.
_Il le fera par dessous la jambe_ = He will do it with the
greatest ease (_or_, carelessly).
_Il a des fourmis dans les jambes_ = He is fidgety, restless.
Jaune
_Jaune comme un coing_ = As yellow as a guinea.
Jean
_Être gros Jean comme devant_ = To be no better off than one was
before, in spite of all one’s efforts.
[RABELAIS, _Pantagruel_, iv. second prologue, and LA FONTAINE,
_Fables_, vii. 10.]
Jeter
_Il jette son argent par les fenêtres_ = He plays ducks and
drakes with his money.
_C’est jeter de l’huile sur le feu_ = It is adding fuel to the
fire (flames).
Jeu
*_Jeu qui trop dure ne vaut rien_ (Charles d’Orléans) = Too much
of a good thing is bad.
_C’est vieux jeu_ = That is quite old-fashioned.
_Ne me mettez pas en jeu_ = Do not mix me up in it.
_Cela passe le jeu_ = That is beyond a joke.
*_Jeu de mains, jeu de vilains_ = 1. Horse-play is not
gentlemanly. 2. Rough play often ends in tears.
_Il fait bonne mine à mauvais jeu_ = He puts a good face on the
matter; He makes the best of a bad job.
*_A beau jeu beau retour_ = One good turn deserves another.
_Nous sommes à deux de jeu_ = We are even; We are a match for
each other; Two can play at that game.
_Je vous donne beau jeu_ = (lit.) I give you good cards; (fig.) I
give you a good opportunity; I play into your hands.
_Jouer gros jeu_ = (lit.) To play for high stakes; (fig.) To risk
very much in an attempt.