FrenchAvoir le vent en poupe
Meaning: To be doing very well; everything is going your way.
Literally: To have the wind at the stern
Example: “Depuis son dernier album, ce groupe a le vent en poupe.” — Since its latest album, this band has been riding high.
English equivalent: To have the wind in one's sails
Origin: Purely nautical to begin with: the poupe is a ship's stern, and wind striking it from directly behind drives the vessel forward as efficiently as wind can. Sailors were using the phrase from the 14th century for anyone luck seemed to be pushing along from behind, all obstacles smoothed away — a wholly favorable position to be in, since a following wind is the one kind of wind a sailing ship never has to fight. It moved into everyday language as a straightforward metaphor for success that seems to be building of its own accord.
Equivalents in other languages
English: have the wind in one's sails
More French idioms
- Mettre les pieds dans le plat To put one's foot in it; to say something awkward or blunt.
- Tourner autour du pot To beat around the bush.
- Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un To talk behind someone's back.
- Faire d'une pierre deux coups To kill two birds with one stone.
- Faire d'une mouche un éléphant To make a mountain out of a molehill; to exaggerate wildly.
- Avoir des fourmis dans les jambes Experiencing a tingling or prickling sensation in a limb losing circulation.
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- Râler To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.
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