Home › Idioms

Connaître bibliquement

Meaning: To have had sex with someone.

Language: French

Literally: To know biblically

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: From the Hebrew idiom preserved in Bible translations, where 'to know' is a euphemism for sexual union — as in Genesis, where Adam knew his wife. The adverb makes the euphemism explicit and slightly arch.

More idioms — Body & Senses

  • Se faire de la bile — To worry oneself sick.
  • Dans le plus simple appareil — Stark naked.
  • Tomber dans les pommes — Suddenly losing consciousness — possibly derived from the older expression 'être dans les…
  • Avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez — To be getting angry.
  • Couper les cheveux en quatre — To over-analyze or split hairs.
  • Se regarder le nombril — To be self-centered or narcissistic.

More French idioms

  • L'arbre qui cache la forêt — A conspicuous detail that distracts attention from the larger reality behind it.
  • Jeter son bonnet par-dessus les moulins — To throw propriety to the wind and stop caring what people think.
  • Un baroud d'honneur — A last stand fought for honor when defeat is already certain.
  • Un ange passe — Said to acknowledge a sudden awkward silence in a conversation.
  • Être aux anges — To be overjoyed, in raptures.
  • Être aux abonnés absents — To be unreachable, or to fail to show up when needed.

From our compliments & insults

  • Tu déchires — You're awesome — you totally rock.
  • Bête comme ses pieds — Really not very bright.
  • Avoir un poil dans la main — To be incurably lazy.

Browse all compliments & insults →

← Back to Idioms

Explore more: Proverbs Compliments & Insults False Friends Untranslatable Words Tongue Twisters

Loading the full interactive collection…