Avoir la bosse de
Meaning: To have a natural gift for something, as in avoir la bosse des maths.
Language: French
Literally: To have the bump for
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From phrenology, the discredited science founded by Franz Joseph Gall around 1800, which held that mental faculties were seated in specific parts of the brain and raised detectable bumps on the skull above them. The science collapsed; the expression did not.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Aller à Canossa — To humble oneself completely before someone; to submit and beg forgiveness.
- Parler à la cantonade — To speak to a group at large without addressing anyone in particular.
- Un capitaine d'industrie — The head of a large company.
- Il n'y a pas loin du Capitole à la roche Tarpéienne — Glory and disgrace are close neighbors — the fall can follow the honors very quickly.
- Arriver comme les carabiniers — To turn up far too late, when everything is already over.
- Le dernier carat — The very last moment; the absolute limit.
More French idioms
- Rabattre le caquet à quelqu'un — To shut someone up; to take an insolent person down a peg.
- Caracoler en tête — To lead by a wide margin, especially in a race or in polls.
- Muet comme une carpe — Completely silent; saying absolutely nothing.
- La caque sent toujours le hareng — However far you rise, low origins always show through.
- Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard — It's nothing special or impressive.
- C'est comme pisser dans un violon — A completely pointless effort.
From our false friends
- Chance — Actually means 'luck'. Bonne chance! = Good luck! For chance (probability), say une possi…
- Sympathique — Actually means 'nice' or 'pleasant'. Il est très sympathique = He's very nice — not 'He's…
- Rester — Actually means 'to stay' or 'to remain'. Je reste ici = I'm staying here — not taking a n…
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