IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchLes dés sont pipés
Meaning: The outcome is rigged in advance.
Literally: The dice are loaded
Example: “Le jury était composé d'amis du candidat ; les dés étaient pipés.” — The panel was made up of the candidate's friends; the deck was stacked.
English equivalent: The deck is stacked
Equivalents in other languages
English: the deck is stacked
Origin: Piper originally meant to lure birds by imitating their calls with a pipe, and so to deceive. Loaded dice took the verb, and the phrase now covers any contest whose result was arranged before it began.
More French idioms
- Qui paye ses dettes s'enrichit Settling what you owe leaves you better off than owing it.
- Faire son deuil de quelque chose To accept that something is lost and give up on it.
- Jeter son dévolu sur quelque chose To settle firmly on something one intends to have.
- À Dieu ne plaise God forbid.
- Dieu reconnaîtra les siens Act without discriminating and let a higher authority sort out the innocent.
- Mon petit doigt m'a dit I know something you did not expect me to know.
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