IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchDevoir une fière chandelle à quelqu'un
Meaning: To owe someone a considerable debt of gratitude.
Literally: To owe someone a proud candle
Example: “Tu as retrouvé mes clés ? Je te dois une fière chandelle !” — You found my keys? I owe you big time!
Origin: Candles were offered to a saint in thanks for deliverance, and the size of the candle matched the size of the escape. A fière chandelle is a conspicuously large one, so the debt being acknowledged is a serious one.
More French idioms
- Un chevalier d'industrie A swindler who lives by his wits at others' expense.
- La cheville ouvrière The linchpin — the person or thing on which an entire operation turns.
- Une chiffe molle A spineless person with no will of their own.
- Être au septième ciel To be in a state of perfect happiness.
- Mettre la clé sous la porte To shut up shop; to go out of business.
- Ne pas être grand clerc Not to be much of an expert — used to say that no expertise is needed to see something.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras A certain small gain beats a larger promised one.
- L'habit ne fait pas le moine Appearances do not establish what someone is.
- Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse Constant movement prevents anything from accumulating.
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