FrenchÊtre sur la brèche
Meaning: Being actively engaged in battle or difficult work.
Literally: To be on the breach
Example: “Pendant les soldes, les vendeurs sont sur la brèche du matin au soir.” — During the sales, the salespeople are on the go from morning to night.
English equivalent: To be in the thick of it
Origin: A brèche is the breach that siege guns open in a fortress wall, and it was where the fiercest fighting took place: attackers stormed it and defenders had to hold it at any cost. The Académie française's 1762 dictionary already has mourir sur la brèche (to die on the breach). Being sur la brèche came to mean being in the thick of the action, and then, more generally, working flat out without a break; George Sand used it in 1871.
Equivalents in other languages
English: be in the thick of it
More French idioms
- Faire ses griffes Practicing or preparing oneself for a challenging task or confrontation.
- Manger du bout des dents Eating without appetite or showing disinterest in the meal.
- Avoir une peur bleue Being terrified or extremely frightened of something.
- Avoir des étoiles dans les yeux Being dreamy, hopeful, or enchanted by romantic ideals.
- Faire un couac Making an embarrassing mistake or producing a discordant sound.
- Quand les poules auront des dents Never — it describes something that will simply never happen.
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