IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchL'alpha et l'oméga
Meaning: The beginning and the end; the entirety of something, or its essential principle.
Literally: The alpha and the omega
Example: “Pour ce chef, la qualité des produits est l'alpha et l'oméga de la cuisine.” — For this chef, the quality of ingredients is the be-all and end-all of cooking.
English equivalent: The be-all and end-all
Equivalents in other languages
English: the be-all and end-all
Origin: From Revelation, where God declares himself the Alpha and the Omega — the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, so the whole of it and everything between.
More French idioms
- Signer son arrêt de mort To take an action that guarantees your own downfall.
- Un homme de l'art A qualified professional, especially a physician.
- C'est du grand art That is masterfully done.
- L'enfance de l'art Utterly elementary; child's play.
- À l'article de la mort At the very point of dying.
- De bon augure A promising sign; its opposite, de mauvais augure, means ominous.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Il faut balayer devant sa porte Deal with your own faults before criticizing other people's.
- Avec des si, on mettrait Paris en bouteille Speculating about what might have been is pointless.
- Faute de grives, on mange des merles When you can't have what you want, you make do with what's available.
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