IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchC'est kif-kif
Meaning: It makes no difference at all.
Literally: It's kif-kif
Example: “Le bus ou le métro, c'est kif-kif, tu arriveras en même temps.” — Bus or subway, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other; you'll get there at the same time.
English equivalent: Six of one, half a dozen of the other
Equivalents in other languages
Chinese: 半斤八两 (bàn jīn bā liǎng) Literally: Half a jin, eight liang
Hungarian: Egyik kutya, másik eb Literally: One is a dog, the other is a hound
German: gehüpft wie gesprungen Literally: Hopped as jumped
English: six of one, half a dozen of the other
Origin: From Arabic kif kif, like for like, brought into French by soldiers in North Africa in the 19th century. The reduplication is the Arabic construction, not a French intensifier.
More French idioms
- Se faire limoger To be relieved of a post; to be sacked.
- Laver son linge sale en famille Keep internal disputes private.
- Par le petit bout de la lorgnette From a needlessly narrow point of view.
- Être une lumière To be highly intelligent — used almost exclusively in the negative.
- Une lune de miel The first happy period of a marriage, or of any new arrangement.
- Bien luné In a good mood — and mal luné, in a bad one.
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- Tu as du chien You have a certain irresistible magnetism — a je-ne-sais-quoi that draws people in.
- Tu as la tête sur les épaules You're grounded, sensible, and dependable — not easily swept off course.
- Tu as le vent en poupe Everything is going your way — you're riding a wave of momentum and success.
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