Être comme l'âne de Buridan
Meaning: To be so paralyzed between two equally attractive options that you choose neither.
Language: French
Literally: To be like Buridan's donkey
Category: Animals
Origin: From a paradox attached to the 14th-century philosopher Jean Buridan: a donkey placed exactly between a pail of water and a bucket of oats, with no reason to prefer either, starves. Buridan never wrote it — it was framed by critics to mock his account of moral determinism.
More idioms — Animals
- Rire comme une baleine — To laugh uproariously, with your mouth wide open.
- Un vent à décorner les bœufs — A ferociously strong wind.
- La bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe — Insults from a contemptible source cannot touch the person they target.
- Savoir où le bât blesse — To know exactly where the real difficulty or sore point lies.
- Faire un bœuf — To improvise music together; to hold a jam session.
- Rire comme un bossu — To laugh helplessly and without restraint.
More French idioms
- Compter pour du beurre — To count for nothing; to be disregarded.
- Mettre du beurre dans les épinards — To improve one's financial situation; to make life a bit more comfortable.
- Beurré comme un p'tit Lu — Thoroughly drunk.
- Un compte d'apothicaire — A needlessly complicated calculation, usually one padded in the biller's favor.
- Tailler une bavette — To have a long, friendly chat.
- Une auberge espagnole — A place or discussion in which you find only what you yourself brought to it.
From our compliments & insults
- Tu as la tête sur les épaules — You're grounded, sensible, and dependable — not easily swept off course.
- Tu as le vent en poupe — Everything is going your way — you're riding a wave of momentum and success.
- Tu es un as — You're brilliant at what you do — the very best.
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