La paille et la poutre
Meaning: Noticing a small fault in others while ignoring a large one in oneself.
Language: French
Literally: The straw and the beam
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From the Sermon on the Mount — the mote in your brother's eye and the beam in your own. French keeps both objects where English usually names only the mote.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Un homme de paille — A front man acting for someone who stays hidden.
- Envoyer paître — To tell someone to get lost.
- La boîte de Pandore — Something that releases a host of troubles once opened.
- Le dessus du panier — The pick of the crop; the best of a group.
- Un panier percé — Someone incapable of holding on to money.
- Le parcours du combattant — A gruelling series of obstacles.
More French idioms
- La flèche du Parthe — A wounding remark delivered while leaving.
- Graisser la patte — To bribe someone.
- Le haut du pavé — The most privileged position in society.
- Mettre pavillon bas — To admit defeat.
- Dire pis que pendre de quelqu'un — To speak extremely ill of someone.
- Remettre les pendules à l'heure — To set the record straight and restore order.
From our untranslatable words
- L'esprit de l'escalier — Thinking of the perfect comeback only after the moment has passed — on your way down the…
- Terroir — The unique character that a place — its soil, climate and tradition — gives to a wine or…
- Râler — To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.
Browse all untranslatable words →
Loading the full interactive collection…