Ménager la chèvre et le chou
Meaning: To try to please both sides of a conflict without committing to either.
Language: French
Literally: To spare both the goat and the cabbage
Category: Animals
Origin: From the medieval river-crossing riddle of ferrying a goat and a cabbage without one eating the other, attested in French since the 13th century.
More idioms — Animals
- Prendere due piccioni con una fava — To achieve two goals with a single effort.
- 猫舌 (Nekojita) — Unable to handle hot food or drinks.
- Ни пуха ни пера (Ni pukha ni pera) — Good luck — to which the ritual reply is 'To the devil!'.
- Ехать зайцем (Yekhat' zaytsem) — To ride a train or bus without paying.
- Кот наплакал (Kot naplakal) — A laughably tiny amount.
- De hond in de pot vinden — To arrive too late — the food, or the opportunity, is gone.
More French idioms
- Avoir la gueule de bois — To be hungover.
- Filer à l'anglaise — To leave discreetly without saying goodbye.
- Se mettre sur son trente-et-un — To dress up in your very best clothes.
- Les doigts dans le nez — To do something with the greatest of ease.
- Tomber dans le panneau — To fall for a trick or scam.
- Avoir un cœur d'artichaut — To fall in love easily and often.
From our compliments & insults
- Tu déchires — You're awesome — you totally rock.
- Bête comme ses pieds — Really not very bright.
- Avoir un poil dans la main — To be incurably lazy.