Mettre la puce à l'oreille

Meaning: To arouse someone's suspicion or make them uneasy about something.

Language: French

Literally: To put the flea in the ear

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: In use since the 15th century, comparing a nagging suspicion to the persistent itch of a flea bite that won't be ignored.

More idioms — Body & Senses

• Reprendre du poil de la bête — To recover one's strength or spirit after a setback; to bounce back.
• Tomber dans les pommes — Suddenly losing consciousness — possibly derived from the older expression 'être dans les…
• Avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez — To be getting angry.
• Couper les cheveux en quatre — To over-analyze or split hairs.
• Se regarder le nombril — To be self-centered or narcissistic.
• Tomaten auf den Augen haben — To be oblivious to what's right in front of you.

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…
• Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard — It's nothing special or impressive.
• C'est comme pisser dans un violon — A completely pointless effort.

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