IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchMettre le doigt dans l'engrenage
Meaning: To take a first small step that drags you into something far larger.
Literally: To put one's finger in the gears
Example: “Il a accepté un petit pari en ligne et a mis le doigt dans l'engrenage.” — He accepted one small online bet and started down a slippery slope.
English equivalent: A slippery slope
Equivalents in other languages
English: a slippery slope
Origin: Once a finger is caught between two turning gears the mechanism pulls in the hand and then the arm. The warning is specifically about the first step being irreversible, not about the danger being obvious.
More French idioms
- Ronger son frein To wait in barely contained impatience.
- Jeter sa gourme To sow one's wild oats.
- Tirer à hue et à dia To pull in opposite directions; to work at cross purposes.
- Une grenouille de bénitier A woman conspicuously and tiresomely devout.
- Faire le pied de grue To stand around waiting for a long time.
- Crier haro sur le baudet To denounce someone publicly and unanimously.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
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- Faute de grives, on mange des merles When you can't have what you want, you make do with what's available.
- Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre Patience is rewarded in the end.
- Qui se ressemble s'assemble People tend to seek out others like themselves.
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