être de mauvais poil
Meaning: To be in a bad mood or irritable disposition.
Language: French
Literally: to be of bad hair
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: Origin uncertain; the phrase may draw on the image of unkempt or bristling hair as a sign of disorder and ill temper, or derive from an older sense of 'poil' as mood or temperament.
More idioms — Body & Senses
- se casser la figure — To fall to the ground; to have an accident or suffer a collapse.
- joindre le geste à la parole — To back up what you say with action; to keep your promises.
- se payer la tête de quelqu'un — To mock or ridicule someone.
- avoir les sangs tournés — To be profoundly shocked or horrified.
- fourrer son nez dans les affaires de quelqu'un — To meddle or pry indiscreetly into someone else's affairs.
- griller les neurones — To drive someone insane or cause them to go mad.
More French idioms
- être à ramasser à la petite cuiller — To be completely exhausted, utterly without strength.
- casser le nez à coups d’encensoir — To offer someone clumsy, exaggerated, and insincere flattery to their face.
- péter une baloune — To cause deep disappointment; to shatter someone's illusions or hopes.
- être du propre — Used ironically to criticize something as morally or physically filthy.
- remuer ciel et terre — To exert all possible effort and use every available means to achieve a goal.
- mettre à terre — To defeat or knock someone down.
From our tongue twisters
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? — A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. — An 's' / 'si' minefield.
- Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend. — A gentle 'ta / ten / tan / t'' warm-up that sounds faster than it reads.