IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchChercher des noises
Meaning: To pick a quarrel deliberately.
Literally: To look for noises
Example: “Dès qu'il a bu, il cherche des noises à tout le monde.” — As soon as he's had a drink, he picks a fight with everyone.
English equivalent: To pick a fight
Equivalents in other languages
Portuguese: comprar briga Literally: To buy a fight
English: pick a fight
Origin: Noise in Old French meant a quarrel or uproar, and English borrowed the word in that sense before narrowing it to sound. French kept the original meaning only inside this phrase.
More French idioms
- Un ouvrier de la onzième heure A latecomer who receives the same reward as those who did the work.
- La paille et la poutre Noticing a small fault in others while ignoring a large one in oneself.
- Un homme de paille A front man acting for someone who stays hidden.
- Envoyer paître To tell someone to get lost.
- La boîte de Pandore Something that releases a host of troubles once opened.
- Le dessus du panier The pick of the crop; the best of a group.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras A certain small gain beats a larger promised one.
- L'habit ne fait pas le moine Appearances do not establish what someone is.
- Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse Constant movement prevents anything from accumulating.
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