IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchFaire le pied de grue
Meaning: To stand around waiting for a long time.
Literally: To do the crane's foot
Example: “J'ai fait le pied de grue devant le cinéma pendant quarante minutes.” — I cooled my heels outside the movie theater for forty minutes.
English equivalent: To cool one's heels
Equivalents in other languages
English: cool one's heels
Origin: A crane rests for long periods on a single leg, motionless. The phrase catches the posture of enforced waiting rather than the elegance of the bird.
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- Un vieux loup de mer A seasoned old sailor.
- Avoir des yeux de lynx To have extremely sharp eyesight, or to notice everything.
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- Se laisser tondre la laine sur le dos To let oneself be exploited without resisting.
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