être un ours
Meaning: Being unfriendly, grumpy, and difficult to approach socially.
Language: French
Literally: to be a bear
Category: Animals
Origin: Rests on the animal's ordinary behavior rather than any old legend: a bear lives alone by nature, tolerating company only briefly and for its own reasons, so calling an unsociable, brusque person a bear needs no folklore to explain it — the comparison is just accurate zoology applied to a person who avoids others the same way. This is the plainer of two French bear insults; the harsher ours mal léché (badly licked bear) carries its own separate story about a supposed upbringing gone wrong, which is not what this simpler phrase is claiming.
More idioms — Animals
- avoir une mémoire d'éléphant — Having exceptional ability to remember details over time.
- avoir une langue de vipère — Speaking maliciously, spreading rumors, or being verbally cruel.
- faire ses griffes — Practicing or preparing oneself for a challenging task or confrontation.
- jemandem einen Bären aufbinden — To tell someone a deliberate lie or deceptive story for amusement or manipulation.
- mit jemandem Katz und Maus spielen — To tease or toy with someone's emotions, alternating between kind and cruel treatment for…
- tener un rabo de paja — To feel guilty or anxious about something, fearing exposure of a personal fault or secret.
More French idioms
- faire la fortune de quelqu'un — Bringing great wealth or success to another person.
- être sur la brèche — Being actively engaged in battle or difficult work.
- manger du bout des lèvres — Eating without appetite or showing disinterest in the meal.
- avoir une peur bleue — Being terrified or extremely frightened of something.
- être du voyage — Being involved in an illicit or questionable scheme.
- faire le gendarme — Acting authoritarian or enforcing rules with excessive zeal.
From our proverbs
- Hope for the best, prepare for the worst — Optimism should be balanced with practical preparation.
- Don't make a mountain out of a molehill — Don't exaggerate small problems.
- Patience is a virtue — The ability to wait calmly is a valuable quality.