Boire le calice jusqu'à la lie
Meaning: To endure an ordeal all the way to its most humiliating end.
Language: French
Literally: To drink the chalice down to the dregs
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: From the Gospel account of Gethsemane, where Christ asks that the cup pass from him. The lie is the sediment at the bottom of the vessel, so draining to it means being spared nothing.
More idioms — Food & Drink
- La cerise sur le gâteau — A final touch that completes something already good — often said sarcastically of a last…
- Ni chair ni poisson — Neither one thing nor the other; impossible to classify.
- Un cordon-bleu — An outstanding cook.
- Il y a loin de la coupe aux lèvres — Much can still go wrong between intention and result.
- Né avec une cuillère d'argent dans la bouche — Born into wealth and advantage.
- Des économies de bouts de chandelle — Petty economies that save nothing worth having.
More French idioms
- Clouer le bec à quelqu'un — To silence someone completely, usually with an unanswerable reply.
- Se crêper le chignon — To have a furious quarrel — said of women.
- Avoir les yeux de Chimène pour quelqu'un — To be visibly smitten with someone or something.
- Se faire des cheveux blancs — To worry oneself sick.
- Haut les cœurs ! — Take courage; lift your spirits.
- Aux calendes grecques — Never — used of something postponed indefinitely.
From our proverbs
- The Lord helps those that help themselves — Self-directed effort attracts divine favor; passivity alone cannot substitute for persona…
- The more one learns about people, the more one likes one's pet — Familiarity with human flaws makes the unconditional loyalty of animals more precious.
- The nail that sticks out gets hammered down — Conformity protects individuals; standing apart invites suppression or punishment from so…
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