Le dessus du panier
Meaning: The pick of the crop; the best of a group.
Language: French
Literally: The top of the basket
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Market sellers laid the best produce on top where buyers would see it, which is also why the phrase carries a faint suspicion about what is underneath.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Un panier percé — Someone incapable of holding on to money.
- Le parcours du combattant — A gruelling series of obstacles.
- 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.
More French idioms
- 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.
- Ce n'est pas le Pérou — It is not a fortune; it is nothing to get excited about.
- Un pétard mouillé — A revelation that was supposed to explode and did not.
- Peu ou prou — More or less; to some degree.
- Y a pas photo — It's not even close; there is no question about it.
From our false friends
- Librairie — Actually means 'bookshop'. A library is une bibliothèque.
- Pain — Actually means 'bread'. The hurting kind of pain is la douleur.
- Coin — Actually means 'corner'. A coin you spend is une pièce.
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