FrenchMettre la puce à l'oreille
Meaning: To arouse someone's suspicion or make them uneasy about something.
Literally: To put the flea in the ear
Example: “Ce sont ses retards répétés qui m'ont mis la puce à l'oreille.” — It was his constant lateness that made me suspect something.
English equivalent: To set alarm bells ringing
Equivalents in other languages
English: set alarm bells ringing
Origin: The phrase is very old and first meant something else: from the 13th century until the late 16th, putting a flea in someone's ear meant arousing amorous desire, the itch standing for longing, and La Fontaine still plays on that sense in his Contes. In the 17th century it shifted to worry and then to suspicion: a flea in the ear is an itch one cannot ignore, and a suspicion works the same way.
More French idioms
- Sortir de ses gonds To fly into a rage; to lose one's temper suddenly and violently.
- Arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe To show up at a completely inopportune, awkward moment.
- Jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain To discard something valuable while getting rid of what's unwanted.
- C'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité Said when someone criticizes another for a flaw they share themselves; the pot calling th…
- Allonger pour le compte To knock someone out in a boxing match; to fell someone.
- Avancer masqué To act in a hidden or anonymous way, concealing one's intentions or identity.
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