IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchÊtre à la merci de quelqu'un
Meaning: To be entirely in someone's power.
Literally: To be at someone's mercy
Example: “Sans contrat écrit, le locataire est à la merci de son propriétaire.” — Without a written lease, the tenant is entirely in the landlord's power.
Origin: Merci comes from Latin merces, payment or wages, and shifted through favor granted to pity. The commercial root survives in French merci, thank you, which was originally an acknowledgement of a favor received.
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- Être dans les bras de Morphée To be fast asleep.
- Prendre au mot To hold someone to exactly what they said.
- Un moulin à paroles Someone who talks incessantly.
- Sainte Nitouche A woman who feigns innocence she does not have.
- Le nerf de la guerre Money, as the thing without which nothing can be done.
- Convoler en justes noces To get married.
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- Tu as de la répartie You're brilliantly quick-witted — always ready with the perfect comeback.
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