IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchMentir comme un arracheur de dents
Meaning: To lie brazenly and habitually.
Literally: To lie like a tooth-puller
Example: “Ce vendeur ment comme un arracheur de dents sur le kilométrage.” — That salesman is lying through his teeth about the mileage.
English equivalent: To lie through one's teeth
Equivalents in other languages
English: lie through one's teeth
Origin: Itinerant tooth-drawers worked at fairs, assured their patients the extraction would not hurt, and were wrong every time. The lie was so reliable that the trade became the standard for dishonesty.
More French idioms
- Mon petit doigt m'a dit I know something you did not expect me to know.
- Dorer la pilule To make an unpleasant fact easier to accept by dressing it up.
- Qui dort dîne Sleep takes the place of a meal you cannot afford.
- Se la couler douce To take life very easy indeed.
- Des mesures draconiennes Punishingly severe rules.
- Péter une durite To lose one's temper completely.
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