IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchHommes de sac et de corde
Meaning: Thorough scoundrels.
Literally: Men of sack and rope
Example: “Le capitaine avait recruté un équipage d'hommes de sac et de corde.” — The captain had hired a crew of utter scoundrels.
Origin: Both nouns name executions: the sack was for drowning, the rope for hanging. The phrase describes people who have earned one or the other.
More French idioms
- Un coup de semonce A deliberate warning, delivered before real consequences.
- Un train de sénateur A slow, dignified gait.
- Nourri dans le sérail Brought up inside an institution and knowing all its workings.
- Ce n'est pas une sinécure It is not an easy job.
- Une chasse aux sorcières A campaign of persecution driven by suspicion rather than evidence.
- Pas besoin de sortir de Saint-Cyr It doesn't take a genius to work that out.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
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- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. An 's' / 'si' minefield.
- Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend. A gentle 'ta / ten / tan / t'' warm-up that sounds faster than it reads.
- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.
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