Des espèces sonnantes et trébuchantes
Meaning: Hard cash, as opposed to promises or credit.
Language: French
Literally: Ringing and tipping coin
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Good coin rang true when struck and tipped the trébuchet, the precision balance used to check weight. Both tests were defenses against clipping, so the phrase means money that has already passed verification.
More idioms — Daily Life
- D'estoc et de taille — With everything one has, by every available means.
- Ne connaître ni d'Ève ni d'Adam — Not to know someone at all.
- Fauché comme les blés — Completely broke.
- S'inscrire en faux — To formally deny something and challenge its truth.
- Cherchez la femme — There is a woman behind this somewhere.
- Jeter l'argent par les fenêtres — To spend recklessly and pointlessly.
More French idioms
- Croire dur comme fer — To believe something with complete and unshakeable conviction.
- Le fer de lance — The leading element of an effort; the part that goes in first.
- Avoir le feu sacré — To be driven by genuine, burning vocation.
- Être tout feu tout flamme — To be full of ardent enthusiasm.
- Faire fi de quelque chose — To scorn something; to dismiss it as beneath notice.
- Des grosses ficelles — Crude, obvious tricks that fool nobody.
From our compliments & insults
- Tu as un cœur d'or — You are genuinely kind and generous.
- Tu déchires — You're awesome — you totally rock.
- Bête comme ses pieds — Really not very bright.
Browse all compliments & insults →
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