compter sur les doigts d’une main

Meaning: To be so few in number that they can be counted on five fingers or fewer.

Language: French

Literally: to count on the fingers of one hand

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: The image is literal: when something is rare enough to enumerate on one hand's worth of fingers, it emphasizes extreme scarcity.

More idioms — Body & Senses

• tirer l’oreille — To scold or reprimand someone.
• tirer les oreilles — To scold someone harshly or punish them.
• ne plus savoir où donner de la tête — To be overwhelmed with work or demands.
• avoir les yeux qui sortent de la tête — To stare with eyes wide open in anger or astonishment.
• faire baiser les verges — To force someone you have mistreated to beg your pardon.
• retourner l’estomac — To disgust or sicken someone, to make them feel nauseous.

More French idioms

• faire fureur — To provoke great enthusiasm or widespread popularity.
• pousser les feux — To intensify effort or energy; to redouble one's exertions to achieve a goal.
• courir après les cotillons — To pursue amorous or romantic adventures.
• avoir de la tchatche — To be talkative and persuasive, to have the gift of gab.
• tomber à l’eau — To be canceled or abandoned.
• faire le pont-levis — For a horse to rear up very high.

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