*_Passons au déluge_ = We know all about that, let us come to the
point; Don’t let us go over all that again, we will take it for
granted.
[RACINE, _Plaideurs_, iii. 3; where L’Intimé, the lawyer, wishes
to relate the history of the world from the creation, and Dandin,
the judge, begs him to skip all until the flood.]
_Cette couleur passera_ = That colour will fade.
*_Passe-moi la casse (rhubarbe), je te passerai le séné_ = Claw
me and I’ll claw thee; One hand washes the other, and both wash
the face.
_Passez-moi ce mot-là_ = Excuse the expression.
_J’en passe ... et des meilleurs_ = Some of the best I pass over.
[VICTOR HUGO, _Hernani_, iii. 6.]
_On ne passe pas_ = No thoroughfare.
[_Rue barrée_ = Road stopped.]
Patte
_Vous faites des pattes de mouche_ = You have a small, ill-formed
handwriting.
_Il marche à quatre pattes_ = He walks on all-fours.
Pauvre
_Aux pauvres la besace_ = The back is made for the burden.
_L’homme pauvre est toujours en pays étranger_ = The poor are
never welcomed; All bite the bitten dog.
Pauvreté
*_Pauvreté n’est pas vice_ = Poverty is no crime.
Pavé
_Les pavés le disent_ = It is in every one’s mouth.
_Il est sur le pavé_ = He is out of work.
_Prendre le haut du pavé_ = To take the wall.
Payer
_Payer de sa personne_ = To bravely expose oneself to danger; To
risk one’s skin.
_Être payé pour savoir_ = To know a thing to one’s cost.
_Payer d’audace_ = To put on a bold face; To brazen a thing out.
_Payer les violons_ = To pay the piper.
_Je ne me paye pas de mauvaises raisons_ = I will only be
satisfied with good reasons.
_Vous vous payez de mots_ = You are the dupe of words; You are
taken in by empty words.
_Il me la payera_ = I will make him smart for it.
_Qui paye ses dettes s’enrichit_ = Debt is the worst kind of
poverty.
_Payer son écot_ = To pay one’s share (scot).
_Il veut se payer ma tête_ = He wishes to have the laugh of me.
Pays
*_Pays ruiné vaut mieux que pays perdu_ = Half a loaf is better
than no bread.
_Je lui ferai voir du pays_ = I will lead him a pretty dance.
Peau
*_Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué_ =
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched; First catch
your hare.
[“_Il m’a dit qu’il ne faut jamais
Vendre la peau de l’ours qu’on ne l’ait mis par terre._”
LA FONTAINE, _Fables_, v. 20.]
_Il crève dans sa peau_ (fam.) = (lit.) He is extremely fat;
(fig.) He is bursting with pride, spite.
_Faire peau neuve_ = To turn over a new leaf.
Péché
*_Péché avoué est à demi pardonné_ = A fault confessed is half
redressed.
_Elle est laide comme les sept péchés capitaux_ = She is as ugly
as sin.
Pécher
_On est puni par où l’on a péché_ =
“The Gods are just, and of our pleasant vices
Make instruments to scourge us.”
[_King Lear_, v. 3.]
Peine
_Cela ne vaut pas la peine_ = It is not worth the trouble; It is
not worth while.
_Mourir à la peine_ = 1. To die in harness. 2. To work oneself to
death.
Peinture
_Je ne peux pas le voir même en peinture_ = I hate the very sight
of that man.
Pelé
_Il y avait quatre pelés et un tondu_ = There were only a few
people and those of no importance; Only the tag, rag, and bobtail
were there.
Pelle
*_La pelle se moque du fourgon_ = It is the pot calling the
kettle black.
[Another English variant is: “The kiln calls the oven: Burnt
house.” The Italians say: “La padella dice al pajuolo, ‘Fatti
ni la che tu me tigni’” = The pan says to the pot, “Keep off or
you’ll smutch me.” The Germans: “Ein Esel schimpft den andern
Langohr” = One ass nicknames another Longears.]
_Remuer l’argent à la pelle_ = To have plenty of money.
Pelote
_Il a fait sa pelote_ = He has feathered his nest.
Pendant
_Cet homme n’a pas son pendant_ (or, _pareil_) = That man has not
his match.
Pendre
_Il a dit pis que pendre de vous_ = He said everything that was
bad of you; According to him, hanging is too good for you.
Penser
_À ce que je pense_ = To my mind.
_Sans penser à mal_ = Without meaning any mischief.
_Rien que d’y penser j’en ai le frisson_ = The bare thought of it
makes me shudder.
_Cela donne furieusement à penser_ = That is very suggestive.
_Sans arrière-pensée_ = Without reserve; With no after-thought.
Perdre
*_Un de perdu, deux de retrouvés_ = When one door shuts, another
opens.
_Je m’y perds_ = I am getting bewildered; I cannot make head or
tail of it.
_Il perd la carte_ = He is getting confused.
_C’est du bien perdu_ = It is casting pearls before swine.
*_Qui perd pèche_ = He who loses sins; Nothing succeeds like
success.
Perdrix
*_Toujours des perdrix_ = The best things pall in time.
Perle
_Nous ne sommes pas ici pour enfiler des perles_ = We are not
here to trifle our time away.
Pérou
_Ce n’est pas le Pérou_ (fam.) = It’s no great catch.
Personne
_C’est la bonté en personne_ = He (_or_, She) is kindness itself.
Perte
_À perte de vue_ = As far as the eye can reach.
_Je suis en perte_ = I am out of pocket.
_J’ai fait cela en pure perte_ = What I have done is completely
useless; All I have done is to no purpose.
Pesant
_Il vaut son pesant d’or_ = He is worth his weight in gold.
Petit
_Elles sont aux petits soins pour leur vieille mère_ = They are
all attention to their old mother.
*_Les petits ruisseaux font les grandes rivières_ = Many a little
makes a mickle.
*_Petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid_ = Little strokes fell
great oaks. (See _Maille_ and _Ruisseau_.)
[Also: _Grain à grain amasse la fourmi son pain.
Peu à peu la vieille file sa quenouille._
Latin: Adde parvum parvo tandem fit magnus acervus.
Italian: A passo a passo se va lontana.
Little and often fills the purse.]
_En petit_ = On a small scale.
*_Petit mercier, petit panier_ = A small pack becomes a small
pedlar.
[“Little boats should keep the shore,
Larger ships may venture more.”
Latin: Pauper agat caute.]
*_Petite cervelle, prompte colère_ = A little pot is soon hot.
Pétrin
_Je suis dans le pétrin_ (fam.) = I am in a mess, fix.
_Les finances sont en ce moment dans un pétrin impossible_ = The
finances are in horrible disorder just now.
Peu
_Si peu que rien_ = Next to nothing.
_Imaginez un peu!_ = Just fancy!
_Pour peu que cela vous ennuie_ = However little it annoys you.
_Tant soit peu meilleur_ = Be it ever so little better; A shade
better.
_À peu de chose près_ = Not far off.
Peur
_Elle était mise à faire peur_ = She looked a fright.
_Il a eu plus de peur que de mal_ = He was more frightened than
hurt.
Phrase
_Faire des phrases_ = To speak affectedly.
Pie
*_Il a trouvé la pie au nid_ = He has found a mare’s nest.
_Elle jase comme une pie borgne_ = She chatters like a magpie.
Pièce
_J’ai fait cela de toutes pièces_ = I have done that entirely
(_i.e._ every part of it).
_Je lui ai donné la pièce_ = I gave him a trifle, tip.
_C’est la pièce de résistance_ = It is the principal dish (of a
meal).
Pied
_Il a bon pied, bon œil_ = He is hale and hearty.
_Sur le pied où en sont les choses_ = Considering how matters
stand.
_Il ne sait sur quel pied danser_ = He does not know which way to
turn.
_Partir du bon pied_ = To put one’s best foot foremost.
_Je ferai des pieds et des mains pour vous être utile_ = I will
do my utmost (strain every nerve) to serve you.
_Armé de pied en cap_ = Armed from head to foot, cap-à-pie.
_Le pied m’a manqué_ = My foot slipped.
_Mettre (quelqu’un) à pied_ = (fam.) To dismiss (a
functionary); To deprive a cabman of his licence.
_Il a trouvé chaussure à son pied_ = He has found just what he
wanted; He has found his match.
_Lâcher pied_ = 1. To lose ground. 2. To scamper away.
_Lever le pied_ = To decamp (of a dishonest banker, etc.).
_Vous m’avez tiré une épine du pied_ = (fig.) You have got me out
of a difficulty. (See _Épine_.)
_J’ai fait mon travail d’arraché pied_ = I did my work straight
off, without stopping.
_De plain pied_ = On the same level (of rooms on the same floor,
or on a level with the ground).
_Il a le pied marin_ = He has got his sea-legs; He is a good
sailor.
_Sauter à pieds joints sur quelqu’un_ = (fig.) To ride rough-shod
over any one.
_Il ne se mouche pas du pied_ (pop.) = 1. He is a man of
importance; He gives himself airs. 2. He is no fool.
[A favourite trick of a tumbler in olden times was to take one
of his feet in his hands and pass it quickly under his nose.
Hence the expression would be equivalent to: he is no tumbler or
common fellow. “N’est pas un homme, non, qui se mouche du pied.”
MOLIÈRE, _Tartufe_, iv. 5.]
_Aller du pied_ (or, _Courir_) _comme un chat maigre_ = To be a
good walker.
_Il sèche sur pied_ = He is pining away.
_La mort l’a pris au pied levé_ = Death took him without a
moment’s notice.
[Literally, just at the moment he was starting to go out.]
Pierre
*_Faire d’une pierre deux coups_ = To kill two birds with one
stone.
*_Pierre qui roule n’amasse pas mousse_ = A rolling stone gathers
no moss.
[The Greek form was: λίθος κυλινδόμενος τὸ φῦκος οὐ ποιεῖ.]
_Cela ferait rire un tas de pierres_ = That would make a cat
laugh.
Piété
_Sa montre est au mont de piété_ = His watch is at the
pawnbroker’s. (See _Accrocher_.)
Pignon
_Avoir pignon sur rue_ = To have a house of one’s own.
Pile
_Jouer à pile ou face_ = To play pitch and toss, heads or tails.
_Il n’a ni croix ni pile_ = He has not a rap.
[“Sans croix ne pile.”--LA FONTAINE, _Contes_, ii. “Whacum had
neither cross nor pile.”--BUTLER, _Hudibras_, ii. 3. _Pile_ is
literally the reverse of a coin.]
Pilier
_C’est un pilier d’estaminet_ (or, _de café_) = He is a
public-house lounger, a pub-loafer.
Pilule
_Dorer la pilule_ = To gild the pill.
Pipe
_Casser sa pipe_ (pop.) = To kick the bucket; To hop the twig; To
die.
Piquer
_Piquer la curiosité de quelqu’un_ = To rouse some one’s
curiosity.
_Il se pique d’un rien_ = He takes offence at the slightest thing.
_Il s’est piqué d’honneur_ = He made it a point of honour; He was
put upon his mettle.
_Piquer des deux_ = (lit.) To spur a horse with both heels; To
gallop off at full speed; (fig.) To run very fast.
_Piquer une tête_ (fam.) = To take a header.
_Voilà un discours qui n’est pas piqué des vers_ = That’s a fine
speech if you like [lit. not worm-eaten.]
_Se piquer au jeu_ = (lit.) To continue obstinately to play
although losing; (fig.) To go on in an enterprise in spite of all
obstacles.
Place
*_Qui va à la chasse perd sa place_ = If you leave your place,
you lose it.
Plaider
“_Accordez-vous si votre affaire est bonne, Si votre cause est
mauvaise, plaidez._” [J. B. ROUSSEAU, _Épigrammes_, ii. 19] = If
you’ve a good case, try and compromise; If you’ve a bad one, take
it into court.
Plaie
_Il ne demande que plaie et bosse_ = He seeks quarrels only to
draw profit from them.
_Il ne cherche que plaie et bosse_ = He is always hankering after
a black eye.
Plaisanterie
_Une bonne plaisanterie mérite les honneurs du bis_ = A good tale
is none the worse for being told twice.
Plan
_Reléguer (mettre) au second plan_ = To put into the background.
Planche
_Faire la planche_ = 1. To show others the way; 2. To float on
one’s back.
_C’est sa planche de salut_ = It is his last hope, his
sheet-anchor.
Plancher
_Le plancher des vaches_ (fam.) = Dry land; _Terra firma_.
_Débarrasse-moi le plancher_ (fam.) = Get out of my way.
Planter
_Vous m’avez planté là_ = You left me without any warning; You
left me in the lurch.
Plat
_Il nous a servi un plat de son métier_ (or, _de sa façon_) = He
played us one of his tricks.
_On mit les petits plats dans les grands pour le bien recevoir_
(fam.) = They spared neither trouble nor money to receive him
well; They received him with much fuss.
_Il a mis les pieds dans le plat_ (fam.) = He put his foot in it.
Plâtre
_Ce mari bat sa femme comme plâtre_ = That husband beats his wife
like a dog.
_Essuyer les plâtres_ = To live in a newly-built house (and
therefore damp). (See _Essuyer_.)
Plein
_Battre son plein_ = To be in full swing.
_Plein comme un œuf_ (fam.) = Chock-full.
_En pleine rue_ = In the open street.
_En pleine mer_ = On the high seas.
Pleurer
_La niaise! pleurer à chaudes larmes pour une vétille_ = The
silly girl! to cry her eyes out for a trifle.
Pleuvoir
_Pleuvoir des hallebardes_ = To rain cats, dogs, and pitchforks.
Pli
_Cela ne fera pas un pli_ = There will not be the slightest
difficulty.
_Si vous n’y prenez (pas) garde, il prendra un mauvais pli_ = If
you are not careful he will get into bad habits.
Pluie
*_Après la pluie le beau temps_ = Every cloud has a silver lining.
_Nous parlions de la pluie et du beau temps_ = We were talking of
indifferent matters.
_Il fait la pluie et le beau temps dans cette maison_ = His will
is law in that house; He is the boss of that show (fam.).
Plus
*_Plus on a, plus on veut avoir_ = Much would have more.
Poche
_Il connaît Paris comme sa poche_ = He knows Paris perfectly; He
knows all the ins and outs of Paris; His knowledge of Paris is
extensive and peculiar.
Poil
_Un brave à trois poils_ = The bravest of the brave; A hero of
the first water.
[This expression is derived from three-piled velvet. See MOLIÈRE,
_Les Précieuses Ridicules_, 12.]
_Monter à poil_ = To ride barebacked.
Point
*_Un point à temps en épargne cent_ = A stitch in time saves nine.
[Spanish: Quien no adoba gotera adoba casa entera = Who repairs
not his gutter repairs his whole house.]
_Cela vient à point_ = That comes opportunely.
_La viande est cuite à point_ = The meat is done to a turn.
_Vous venez à point nommé_ = You come in the nick of time, at the
necessary moment, just when you are wanted.
_Mettez les points sur les i_ = Be precise, clear (in speaking or
writing); Cross your t’s and dot your i’s.
_Il vous rendrait des points_ = He is more than a match for you;
He could give you points.
_Il vous rendra des points_ = He will give you odds (at a game).
_Il y a un point noir à l’horizon_ = There are breakers ahead.
Poire
*_Coupons la poire en deux_ = Let us split the difference.
_Elle faisait trop sa poire_ (pop.) = She needed pressing; She
played the prude (_or_, disdainful).
[“Il était trop homme pour faire sa poire.”]
_Nous en causerons entre la poire et le fromage_ = We will talk
it over at dessert.
_Garder une poire pour la soif_ = To lay up something for a rainy
day.
Poisson
_On lui a fait un poisson d’avril_ = They made him an April fool.
_Je suis comme un poisson sur la paille_ = I am like a fish out
of water.
Polichinelle
_C’est le secret de Polichinelle_ = It is an open secret; Every
one knows it.
_Il a avalé la pratique de Polichinelle_ = He is very hoarse.
[_La pratique de Polichinelle_ is the squeaker that a
Punch-and-Judy man puts in his mouth during a performance.]
Politesse
*_Force politesse, trop de finesse_ = Full of courtesy, full of
craft.
Pont
_Il se porte comme le Pont Neuf_ = He is in splendid health.
_C’est vieux comme le Pont Neuf_ = Queen Anne is dead; It is as
old as the hills.
[The Pont Neuf was finished in 1604 during the reign of Henry
IV., and is now the oldest bridge in Paris. The statue of Henry
IV. in the middle of the bridge was erected originally in 1635,
but the present one dates only from 1818.
Another expression is:
_Henri Quatre est sur le Pont Neuf_ = That’s stale news.]
Pontoise
_Il a l’air de revenir de Pontoise_ = He looks down in the mouth;
He answers in a silly fashion.
[The origin of this expression is said to be that in 1720 and in
1753 the Parlement was exiled to Pontoise, about twenty miles
north of Paris, for its rebellion to the King. Perhaps from the
fact that when they returned they were besieged with questions,
to which they gave confused answers, the saying arose and was
applied to anyone that had a simple, idiotic appearance.]
Porte
_Ils ont mis la clef sous la porte_ = They absconded.
_Il faut qu’une porte soit ouverte ou fermée_ = You must decide
one way or the other.
[The title of one of Alfred de Musset’s Proverbes.]
_On l’a mis à la porte_ = They turned him out.
_Il a été mis à la porte par les oreilles et les deux épaules_ =
He was turned out ignominiously, neck and crop.
_On a condamné la porte_ = The door is nailed up, blocked up.
Portée
_À sa portée_ (or, _à portée de sa main_) = Within his reach.
_À (la) portée de la voix_ = Within call.
_À (une) portée de fusil_ = Within gunshot.
Porter
_C’est elle qui porte la culotte_ = She is mistress in this house
(not her husband); The grey mare is the better horse.
_On le porte aux nues_ = They praise him to the skies.
_Ses plaisanteries portent coup_ = His jokes hit the mark.
Poseur
_C’est un poseur_ = He is a prig (lit. attitudiniser).
[There are several varieties of prigs, _e.g._--
_un savantasse_ = a learned prig.
_un collet monté_ = a stiff-and-starched prig.
_un cafard_ = a Pecksniff.
_un fat_ = a conceited ass.
_un freluquet_ = a whipper-snapper.
See _Journal of Education_, March 1896.]
Possession
*_En fait de meubles possession vaut titre_ = Possession is nine
points of the law.
Possible
_Pas possible!_ = You don’t say so! “Well, I never!”
Pot
_Il découvrit bientôt le pot aux roses_ = He soon found out the
secret.
*_Un pot fêlé dure longtemps_ = A creaking door hangs long:
Ailing folk live longest.
*_Il n’y a si méchant pot qui ne trouve son couvercle_ = Every
Jack must have his Jill.
[Also: _À un boiteux, femme qui cloche_.]
_Il a reçu un pot-de-vin_ = He received a bribe, an illicit
commission.
[A _pot-de-vin_ is a gratuity given to B by A because B obtained
for A an order from C. It implies the idea of a bribe, for if
everything had been fair A would not have obtained his order from
C, either because his terms were too high or his wares not good
enough.]
_Payer les pots cassés_ = To stand the racket; To pay the damage;
To face the music.
_Tourner autour du pot_ = To beat about the bush.
_C’est le pot de terre contre le pot de fer_ = It is a most
unequal combat.
Potasser
_Je vais potasser (piocher) un brin_ (students’ slang) = I’m
going to swot (mug up) a bit.
Potin
_Faire du potin (chambard, boucan)_ (pop.) = To kick up a
row, a shindy.
Pouce
_Manger sur le pouce_ = To take a snack.
_Mettre les pouces_ = To give in, to knuckle under.
_Lire du pouce_ (or, _doigt_) = To skip in reading (_i.e._ to do
more work with the thumb than the brain).
Poudre
*_Il n’a pas inventé la poudre_ = He will never set the Thames on
fire.
Poule
_C’est une poule mouillée_ = He is a milk-sop.
Pourpoint
_Mettre un homme en pourpoint_ = To pull a man’s cloak off; To
ruin a man.
_Se mettre en pourpoint_ = To be ready to fight; To roll up one’s
sleeves.
_Tirer un coup_ (_de pistolet_, etc.) _à brûle-pourpoint_ = To fire
point-blank.
_Un argument à brûle-pourpoint_ = A convincing argument.
_Donner à quelqu’un un pourpoint de pierre_ = To give any one a
stone doublet; To imprison any one.
Pouvoir
_Je n’y puis rien_ = I cannot help it; I can do nothing in the
matter.
_Si faire se peut_ = If possible.
_Je n’en puis plus_ = I am done up, exhausted.
_Je n’en puis mais_ = I cannot help it; It is no fault of mine.
(See _Mais_.)
_Cela se peut_ = That may be.
_Cela ne se peut pas_ = It cannot possibly be; It cannot be done.
_On fait comme on peut_ = We must do the best we can; We have
done the best we could.
_Il est toujours on ne peut plus aimable_ = He is always as nice
as can be.
Prêcher
_Il prêche dans le désert_ = (lit.) He preaches to empty benches;
(fig.) All his talking will not convince any one.
_Chacun prêche pour son saint_ = Every one has an eye to his own
interest.
Premier
_Nous sommes au premier_ = We are on the first floor.
_Nous sommes en première_ = We are in a first-class railway
carriage.
_Le premier venu_ = (fig.) No matter who (_or_, whom); The man in
the street.
*_Les premiers vont devant_ = First come, first served.
[“Whoso first cometh to the mill, first grint.”--CHAUCER.]
Prendre
_Il prend sur son sommeil pour étudier_ = He works far into the
night.
_C’est autant de pris sur l’ennemi_ = So much saved out of the
fire; So much to the good.
_Bien lui en prit d’avoir fermé sa porte_ = It was lucky for him
that he shut his door.
_Il prend le chemin de l’hôpital_ = He is on the highway to ruin.
_Je m’en prends à vous_ = I lay the blame at your door.
_Je vous y prends_ = I catch you at it.
_Ça ne prend pas_ (fam.) = “That’s no go.”
_Je sors d’en prendre_ (fam.) = I had rather be excused; You will
not catch me again so soon.
_Qu’est-ce qui vous prend?_ = What is the matter with you?
[This is said to persons doing something suddenly without any
apparent reason, or suddenly becoming bad-tempered, etc., not to
invalids.]
_Je vais vous montrer comment il faut s’y prendre_ = I am going
to show you how to set about it.
*_Ce qui est bon à prendre est bon à garder_ = What is worth
taking is worth keeping; “Findings, keepings.”
_Prenez-vous-en à vous-même_ = You have yourself to thank for it.
_À tout prendre_ = On the whole; Everything considered.
Près
_À cela près il est bon enfant_ = Except for that he is a good
fellow.
Presse
_Il n’y a pas presse_ = There is no hurry!
*_Plus on se presse, moins on arrive_ = The more haste, the less
speed.
_Fendre la presse_ = To make one’s way through the crowd.
Pretentaine
_Courir la pretentaine_ = To gad about.
Prêter
_Il prête de l’argent à la petite semaine_ = He lends money for a
short time at a high rate of interest.
_Un prêté pour un rendu_ = A Roland for an Oliver.
_Prêter le flanc à ..._ = To lay oneself open to...
_Prêter serment_ = To take the oath.
_Ce drap prête_ = This stuff gives, stretches.
Primer
_Elle prime par sa laideur_ = She takes the cake for ugliness.
Princesse
_Aux frais de la Princesse_ = At another’s expense (chiefly of
the State Government).
Prise
_Ils étaient aux prises_ = They had closed; They were at close
quarters.
_Je les ai mis aux prises_ = I have set them one against the
other.
_Je leur ai donné prise sur moi_ = I gave them a handle on me.
_Lâcher prise_ = To let go one’s hold.
Procès
_Sans autre forme de procès_ = Without any more ado.
Promener
_Je l’ai envoyé promener_ (or, _paître_) = I sent him about his
business.
_Va te promener!_ (fam.) = Go to Jericho! Get along with you!
[Compare: “Βάλλ᾽ εἰς μακαρίαν” = Go to Glory.--PLATO, _Hipp.
Major_, 293A--a euphemism for Βάλλ᾽ εἰς ἅδον.]
Promettre
*_Chose promise, chose due_ = Promises should be kept.
_Promettre et tenir sont deux_ = It is one thing to promise,
another to perform.
Propos
_Il est venu fort à propos_ = He came very opportunely.
_À propos, viendrez-vous ce soir?_ = By the way, shall you come
this evening?
_L’à-propos fait le mérite_ = Seasonableness gives everything its
price.
_À propos de bottes_ = With reference to nothing in particular;
With no reference to the subject in hand.
_Il le dit à tout propos_ = He says it on every occasion, at
every turn.
_Il l’a fait de propos délibéré_ = He did it of set purpose; He
had made up his mind to do it.
_Il l’a fait fort mal à propos_ = He did it very unseasonably,
just at the wrong time.
Propre
_C’est du propre_ (ironic.) = A fine thing indeed.
_Il n’a rien en propre_ = He has nothing of his own.
_Un propre-à-rien_ = A good-for-naught.
_Propre à tout et bon à rien_ = Jack of all trades and master of
none.
_Propre comme un sou neuf_ = As clean as a whistle; As neat as a
new pin.
Prune
_Je ne le ferai pas pour des prunes_ (fam.) = I shall not do it
for nothing.
[Also: _Je ne le ferai pas pour le roi de Prusse._ This latter
saying is said to have originated with Voltaire, who, after
having been exceedingly intimate with Frederick the Great, King
of Prussia, finally quarrelled with him. Both this King and his
father, Frederick William I., were known to be exacting and
miserly.]
Puce
_Je lui ai mis la puce à l’oreille_ = I made him feel uneasy (by
rousing his suspicions, etc.); I sent him away with a flea in his
ear.
Puits
_Cet homme est un puits de science_ = He is a man of deep
learning.
Q.
Quand
_Je le ferai quand même_ = I shall do it just the same; I shall
do it whatever it may cost.
Quant
_Se tenir sur son quant-à-soi_ = To stand on one’s dignity.
Quart
_Le quart d’heure de Rabelais_ = The moment of payment. (See
_Heure_.)
_Passer un mauvais quart d’heure_ = To have a bad time of it.
Quatorze
_Avoir quinte et quatorze_ = To have the game in one’s own hand.
[This phrase refers to terms used in the game of piquet. _Quinte_
is to have five cards of the same colour, which counts fifteen.
_Quatorze_ is to have four cards of the same value (_i.e._ four
knaves, aces, etc.), and counts fourteen.]
Quatre
_Il se mettrait en quatre pour un ami_ = He would go through fire
and water for a friend.
_Faire le diable à quatre_ = To kick up a terrible noise; To
exert oneself to the utmost.
[This expression originated in the time of the miracle plays,
when four performers represented _la grande diablerie_, and less
than four _la petite diablerie_.]
_Entre quatre-z-yeux_ (fam.) = Between ourselves.
_On le tenait à quatre_ = It needed four men to hold him down.