IdiomFood & Drink
French
FrenchC'est la mer à boire
Meaning: It is an impossible or endless task — most often used in the negative.
Literally: It's the sea to drink
Example: “Repeindre une chambre, ce n'est pas la mer à boire.” — Repainting a bedroom isn't such a huge job.
Origin: The task is not merely large but the wrong kind of thing to attempt at all. It appears far more often as ce n'est pas la mer à boire, telling someone their difficulty is manageable.
More French idioms
- C'est du nanan It is delicious — or, by extension, extremely easy.
- Être médusé To be struck dumb with astonishment.
- Motus et bouche cousue Not a word to anyone.
- À fleur de peau Raw and easily provoked, of emotions; or just at the surface.
- Avoir bon pied bon œil To be in excellent shape, especially for one's age.
- Avoir le pied marin To keep one's balance on a moving deck; to be unshaken by turbulence.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- 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.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
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