IdiomFood & Drink
French
FrenchMettre de l'eau dans son vin
Meaning: To moderate one's demands or soften one's position.
Literally: To put water in one's wine
Example: “Pour obtenir un accord, les deux partis ont dû mettre de l'eau dans leur vin.” — To reach a deal, both parties had to meet each other halfway.
English equivalent: To meet someone halfway
Equivalents in other languages
Dutch: water bij de wijn doen Literally: To add water to the wine
English: meet someone halfway
Origin: Diluting wine reduces its strength without abandoning it, which is exactly the concession the phrase describes. It implies compromise under pressure rather than a change of mind.
More French idioms
- Avoir les coudées franches To have complete freedom of action.
- Battre sa coulpe To publicly acknowledge one's own wrongdoing.
- Le petit doigt sur la couture du pantalon Standing rigidly to attention; obeying without question.
- Ôter une épine du pied à quelqu'un To relieve someone of a persistent difficulty.
- Un écorché vif Someone painfully hypersensitive to everything around them.
- Se croire sorti de la cuisse de Jupiter To have an absurdly high opinion of one's own importance.
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