IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchLes vaches grasses
Meaning: A period of plenty.
Literally: The fat cows
Example: “Du temps des vaches grasses, l'entreprise offrait un voyage à tous ses salariés.” — Back in the boom years, the company gave all its employees a trip.
Origin: The other half of Pharaoh's dream, and the half people prefer to be living through. French uses the two phrases together far more often than either alone.
More French idioms
- Une tarte à la crème A tired cliché trotted out as though it were an argument.
- Décrocher la timbale To carry off the prize.
- Trier sur le volet To hand-pick with great care.
- À tue-tête At the top of one's voice.
- Dire ses quatre vérités à quelqu'un To tell someone exactly what is wrong with them.
- Avoir la main verte To have a gift for growing plants.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- L'enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions Meaning well counts for nothing without acting well.
- Qui trop embrasse mal étreint Attempting too many things at once means doing none of them properly.
- Tous les chemins mènent à Rome There are many routes to the same result.
Keep exploring