FrenchNe pas en croire ses oreilles
Meaning: To be startled or disbelieving upon hearing something astonishing.
Literally: To not be able to believe one's ears
Example: “Quand on lui a annoncé qu'elle avait gagné, elle n'en croyait pas ses oreilles.” — When they told her she had won, she couldn't believe her ears.
English equivalent: Not to believe one's ears
Equivalents in other languages
English: not believe one's ears
Origin: Hearing is normally believing: what the ears report is taken as fact. Not believing one's own ears is being so astonished by what one hears that the senses themselves seem to be lying. French has the matching ne pas en croire ses yeux for what one sees, and English says the same thing word for word. No particular story lies behind it.
More French idioms
- Prendre le train en marche To join opportunely in an action or endeavor already underway.
- Aiguiser ses couteaux To prepare oneself for conflict or confrontation.
- Passer le Rubicon To make a decisive, irrevocable commitment or choice with serious consequences.
- Être à ramasser à la petite cuiller To be completely exhausted, utterly without strength.
- Casser le nez à coups d’encensoir To offer someone clumsy, exaggerated, and insincere flattery to their face.
- Péter la balloune (Quebec French) To cause deep disappointment; to shatter someone's illusions or hopes.
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