IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchCela va faire du bruit dans Landerneau
Meaning: That is going to cause a stir.
Literally: That will make noise in Landerneau
Example: “Le maire qui démissionne en plein conseil, ça va faire du bruit dans Landerneau.” — The mayor resigning in the middle of the council meeting is going to set tongues wagging.
English equivalent: To set tongues wagging
Equivalents in other languages
English: set tongues wagging
Origin: From Alexandre Duval's 1796 comedy Les Héritiers (The Heirs), set in the Breton town of Landerneau, in which a servant says a returning heir will make noise there. The town is small enough that the phrase carries a note of provincial scandal.
More French idioms
- Carpe diem Make the most of the present rather than counting on the future.
- S'aplatir comme une carpette To grovel; to let oneself be walked over.
- Rester sur le carreau To be knocked out of the running; to be left for dead.
- Rouler carrosse To live in grand style.
- Donner carte blanche To grant someone complete freedom to act as they see fit.
- Tourner casaque To switch sides or change allegiance.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Un beau ver vert dans un verre vert verra un ver vert. Ver (worm), vert (green), and verre (glass) are near-homophones — distinguishing them at…
- Didon dîna, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon dont le dodu dos dodine. A 'd' / 'din' / 'dod' avalanche that seems designed to jam the tongue in third gear.
- Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.
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