être sur des charbons ardents
Meaning: Being extremely anxious or impatient about something.
Language: French
Literally: to be on hot coals
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Points back to an old ordeal: a suspect made to walk barefoot across a pit of burning coals, on the medieval logic that the innocent would somehow be spared injury. Anyone forced through it had no way to stay still — the pain kept them hopping and shifting to limit contact with the ground, burning through their strength fast in the process. That image of someone unable to stop moving, consumed by a pain they can't escape, is exactly the state of a person too anxious to sit through waiting for news.
Equivalents in other languages
- Greek: Τρώω τα νύχια μου — literally: I'm eating my nails
- Norwegian: Å være på pinebenken — literally: To be on the torture bench
More idioms — Daily Life
- avoir un tuyau — Having inside information or a useful tip about something.
- être à court de — Lacking or running low on something essential.
- crier sur les toits — Announcing something publicly that should remain secret.
- avoir un poisson d'avril — Being fooled by a prank or hoax on April 1st.
- être aux petits soins — Receiving attentive, careful treatment and consideration from someone.
- faire un esclandre — Creating a public disturbance or embarrassing scene.
More French idioms
- avoir un chat dans la gorge — Having difficulty speaking due to hoarseness or a sore throat.
- se battre contre les moulins à vent — Fighting a hopeless battle against something immovable or pointless.
- faire ses choux gras — Profiting greatly from a situation at someone else's expense.
- avoir un bleu — Having a bruise on the skin from impact or injury.
- prendre ses rêves pour des réalités — Confusing fantasy with reality; living in delusion.
- faire la pluie et le beau temps — Having complete control over a situation or someone's fate.