IdiomFood & DrinkFrench

C'est la fin des haricots

Meaning: It's all over; there's no hope left.

Literally: It's the end of the beans

Example: “Si la voiture tombe en panne ici, en pleine campagne, c'est la fin des haricots.” — If the car breaks down out here in the middle of nowhere, we're done for.

English equivalent: That's all she wrote

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: Haricots were the last staple food left in the pantry when everything else ran out, so once even the beans were gone there was truly nothing left — the phrase became shorthand for a total, hopeless end.

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