Des yeux de merlan frit
Meaning: A soppy, languishing look.
Language: French
Literally: Fried whiting's eyes
Category: Animals
Origin: A whiting cooked whole has its eyes rolled back and whitened, which is the expression being attributed to the lovestruck. It is never a compliment.
More idioms — Animals
- Payer en monnaie de singe — To pay with worthless promises instead of money.
- La montagne accouche d'une souris — A vast effort or grand announcement produces something trivial.
- La mouche du coche — Someone who bustles importantly while contributing nothing.
- On n'attrape pas les mouches avec du vinaigre — Gentleness achieves what harshness cannot.
- Prendre la mouche — To take sudden and disproportionate offense.
- Ours mal léché — A boorish, ill-mannered person.
More French idioms
- Un oiseau rare — An exceptional find; someone with an unlikely combination of qualities.
- Les moutons de Panurge — People who follow the crowd without thinking.
- Charger la mule — To pile on far too much; to overcharge someone.
- Ne pas valoir un pet de lapin — To be entirely worthless.
- Chassez le naturel, il revient au galop — You cannot permanently suppress your real character.
- C'est la mer à boire — It is an impossible or endless task — most often used in the negative.
From our false friends
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- Phrase — Actually means 'sentence'. For a short phrase or expression, say une expression.
- Ignorer — Actually means 'to be unaware of' or 'not to know'. J'ignore la réponse = I don't know th…
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