aiguiser ses couteaux
Meaning: To prepare oneself for conflict or confrontation.
Language: French
Literally: to sharpen one's knives
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The phrase pictures literally preparing weapons—sharpening knives—as readiness for battle or struggle.
More idioms — Daily Life
- passer le Rubicon — To make a decisive, irrevocable commitment or choice with serious consequences.
- être à ramasser à la petite cuiller — To be completely exhausted, utterly without strength.
- être du propre — Used ironically to criticize something as morally or physically filthy.
- mettre à terre — To defeat or knock someone down.
- prendre des gants — To handle a delicate matter with great tact and care to avoid offending someone.
- remettre en train — To restart or reactivate something that has stopped or slowed down.
More French idioms
- être de mauvais poil — To be in a bad mood or irritable disposition.
- casser le nez à coups d’encensoir — To offer someone clumsy, exaggerated, and insincere flattery to their face.
- se casser la figure — To fall to the ground; to have an accident or suffer a collapse.
- péter une baloune — To cause deep disappointment; to shatter someone's illusions or hopes.
- remuer ciel et terre — To exert all possible effort and use every available means to achieve a goal.
- joindre le geste à la parole — To back up what you say with action; to keep your promises.
From our compliments & insults
- Peau de vache — A mean, difficult, and unpleasant person — tough and unyielding like tanned hide.
- Tu as une cervelle de moineau — You're scatterbrained and forgetful.
- Tu es mon rayon de soleil — A warm way to tell someone they brighten your day.