FrenchCrier sur les toits
Meaning: To announce something loudly and publicly, for everyone to hear.
Literally: To shout on the roofs
Example: “Elle a crié sur les toits qu'elle allait se marier.” — She told the whole world she was getting married.
English equivalent: To shout it from the rooftops
Origin: Rooted in real architecture: in the biblical Near East, houses commonly had flat roofs used as everyday terraces, where families gathered in the cool of the evening and could talk easily across to neighboring roofs — a natural place from which news traveled fast. The wording itself is scriptural, from Matthew's gospel: what I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. The phrase is on record in French from the 16th century, carrying forward the sense that a housetop was the one place a secret was guaranteed not to stay one.
Equivalents in other languages
English: shout it from the rooftops
More French idioms
- Mettre le doigt sur la plaie Identifying the exact problem or sensitive issue in a situation.
- Être une girouette Being inconsistent, constantly changing opinions or allegiances.
- Avoir le compas dans l'œil Having excellent judgment of distance, measurement, or proportion.
- Faire la soupe à la grimace To sulk; to give someone a sour, unwelcoming face, especially at home.
- Montrer les dents Displaying aggression, defiance, or readiness to fight.
- Avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre Taking more food than one can actually eat; wanting too much.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- L'esprit de l'escalier Thinking of the perfect comeback only after the moment has passed — on your way down the…
- Terroir The unique character that a place — its soil, climate and tradition — gives to a wine or…
- Râler To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.
Keep exploring