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faire la morte

Meaning: Pretending not to notice something or ignoring a situation.

Language: French

Literally: to play dead

Category: Animals

Origin: Animal defense mechanism of feigning death to avoid danger.

More idioms — Animals

  • montrer les dents — Displaying aggression, defiance, or readiness to fight.
  • être un ours — Being unfriendly, grumpy, and difficult to approach socially.
  • 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.

More French idioms

  • manger ses paroles — Having to take back or admit one was wrong about something said.
  • mettre l'eau à la bouche — Making someone crave or desire something through temptation.
  • avoir une grosse tête — Being arrogant, conceited, or thinking highly of oneself.
  • tremper son biscuit — Engaging in a brief romantic or intimate encounter.
  • faire un bide — Experiencing complete failure or lack of success.
  • avoir la chair de poule — Experiencing fear, cold, or emotional reaction causing skin reaction.

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