IdiomBody & Senses
French
FrenchLes doigts dans le nez
Meaning: To do something with the greatest of ease.
Literally: Fingers in the nose
Example: “Elle a réussi l'examen les doigts dans le nez.” — She passed the exam without breaking a sweat.
English equivalent: With one hand tied behind one's back
Other ways to say this
Spanish: Ser pan comido Literally: To be eaten bread
Korean: 식은 죽 먹기 (Sigeun juk meokgi) Literally: Eating cold porridge
Polish: Bułka z masłem Literally: A roll with butter
Japanese: 朝飯前 (Asameshi mae) Literally: Before breakfast- Korean: 누워서 떡 먹기 (nuwoseo tteok meokgi) Literally: Eating rice cake lying down
- Spanish: en dos patadas Literally: In two kicks
- Polish: prosty jak drut Literally: Straight as wire
English: a piece of cake- French: C'est du nanan Literally: It's nanan
- English: with one hand tied behind one's back
Origin: The picture is of a task so easy one could do it with a finger up one's nose, using only one hand. It is usually traced to horse racing in the early 1900s, a jockey winning so comfortably he could ride like that, and French slang dictionaries date it to about 1912. The racing story is widely repeated but not firmly documented.
More French idioms
- Tomber dans le panneau To fall for a trick or scam.
- Avoir un cœur d'artichaut To fall in love easily and often.
- Faire la grasse matinée To sleep in and have a lazy lie-in.
- Avoir le bras long To have influence and useful connections.
- Découvrir le pot aux roses To uncover a hidden secret.
- Être dans de beaux draps To be in a real mess.
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