IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchMesurer à l'aune de
Meaning: To judge something by a particular standard.
Literally: To measure by the ell of
Example: “On ne peut pas mesurer ce petit village à l'aune de la capitale.” — You can't judge this little village by the standards of the capital.
Origin: The aune was the cloth-measure used by French drapers, roughly 1.19 meters, and it varied by town — which is the point, since the standard you pick determines the result. It was abolished in favor of the meter in 1799.
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