long fuse
Meaning: A personality trait of being slow to anger; patience before losing one's temper.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The phrase pictures a fuse on an explosive device—a long fuse burns slowly before the charge ignites, metaphorically suggesting delayed anger.
More idioms — Daily Life
- bow out — To resign or withdraw from a situation while preserving one's dignity and reputation.
- long shot — Something unlikely to succeed or happen; a bet or venture with very poor odds.
- land in someone's lap — Something desirable comes to someone without effort or expectation on their part.
- out of spoons — Exhausted of energy or resources, usually mental or emotional.
- thrash out — To discuss and resolve a contentious issue thoroughly through frank dialogue.
- play Cupid — To act as a matchmaker by trying to bring two people together romantically.
More English idioms
- long pork — Human flesh, especially as food.
- see with half an eye — To perceive something obvious with very little effort or attention.
- mugged by reality — To experience a sudden, brutal confrontation with harsh truth after living in comfortable…
- plow the sands — To expend great effort on something completely futile or worthless.
- loaded for bear — Fully prepared and equipped, mentally and materially, to face a difficult challenge or co…
- have someone's guts for garters — To punish someone severely, especially with angry or violent reprimand.
From our compliments & insults
- Espèce de patate — You dim bulb — a potato being the very picture of inert, unthinking stodginess.
- Quel râleur / quelle râleuse — You never stop moaning — everything is a complaint, nothing is ever good enough.
- Peau de vache — A mean, difficult, and unpleasant person — tough and unyielding like tanned hide.