cherchez la femme
Meaning: There is probably a woman behind this situation.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The minister resigned for "personal reasons"? Cherchez la femme.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: French for "look for the woman," popularized by Alexandre Dumas's novel The Mohicans of Paris (1854), where a police chief repeats it. It was borrowed into English as a knowing phrase.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Cherchez la femme — literally: Look for the woman
More idioms — Daily Life
- throw money down the drain — To waste money.
- all fired up — Very excited or enthusiastic.
- the oldest trick in the book — A very familiar trick that should not fool anyone.
- at cross purposes — To misunderstand each other or work toward conflicting goals.
- a Bible thumper — A person who is aggressively or tiresomely religious.
- be a doormat — To let others treat one badly without protest.
More English idioms
- fire in the belly — Strong ambition and drive.
- a slippery slope — A small step that leads to worse and worse consequences.
- snug as a bug in a rug — Very warm and comfortable.
- breathe down someone's neck — To watch someone too closely, or to be close behind them.
- champ at the bit — To be impatient to start.
- one swallow does not make a summer — One good sign does not mean things will continue that way.
From our proverbs
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- Saying and doing are two things. — Words cost nothing, but actions require commitment, effort, and genuine intention to fulf…
- If a man says little he thinks the more. — Silence often reflects deeper contemplation, while excessive speech betrays shallow reaso…