Caviarder un texte
Meaning: To censor a piece of writing by blacking out passages.
Language: French
Literally: To caviar a text
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Tsarist censors struck out forbidden passages with thick black ink, leaving a glistening dark mass across the page that was likened to a smear of caviar. The verb entered French from Russian practice in the 19th century.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Se serrer la ceinture — To economize and go without.
- La femme de César ne doit pas être soupçonnée — Those in public office must be above even the appearance of wrongdoing.
- Se réduire comme une peau de chagrin — To dwindle away steadily until nothing is left.
- Appuyer sur le champignon — To accelerate hard; to floor it.
- Devoir une fière chandelle à quelqu'un — To owe someone a considerable debt of gratitude.
- Le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle — The effort or cost outweighs anything to be gained.
More French idioms
- Tenir la chandelle — To be the awkward third party to a couple.
- Sur les chapeaux de roues — At top speed; also, of a start, immediately and forcefully.
- Avoir voix au chapitre — To have a say in a decision.
- Trouver chaussure à son pied — To find exactly the right match, usually a partner.
- Ne pas y aller par quatre chemins — To come straight to the point.
- Tous les chemins mènent à Rome — There are many routes to the same result.
From our proverbs
- Give neither advice nor salt until you are asked for it. — Offer advice only when it's asked for; unsolicited counsel is rarely welcome.
- What every one asks, what every one gives, but what very few take--advice. — Everyone seeks and gives advice, yet almost no one actually follows it.
- In vain he craves advice who will not follow it. — Asking for advice is pointless if you never intend to heed it.
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