IdiomAnimalsFrench

Crier haro sur le baudet

Meaning: To denounce someone publicly and unanimously.

Literally: To cry haro at the donkey

Example: “Après la défaite, tout le monde a crié haro sur le baudet contre le gardien.” — After the defeat, everyone ganged up to blame the goalkeeper.

Origin: Haro was a Norman legal cry that obliged bystanders to seize an offender on the spot. La Fontaine's fable Les Animaux malades de la peste has the assembled beasts cry it at the donkey, the least powerful among them, for the smallest offense.

More French idioms

Explore another collection: Proverbs

Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.

Browse all proverbs →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →