IdiomBody & Senses
French
FrenchNe pas mâcher ses mots
Meaning: To speak with complete bluntness.
Literally: Not to chew one's words
Example: “La cheffe n'a pas mâché ses mots : le plat était immangeable.” — The chef didn't mince her words: the dish was inedible.
English equivalent: Not to mince one's words
Other ways to say this
Spanish: No tener pelos en la lengua Literally: To have no hairs on the tongue- French: Appeler un chat un chat Literally: To call a cat a cat
Norwegian: Å snakke rett fra leveren Literally: To speak straight from the liver
Italian: Non avere peli sulla lingua Literally: To have no hairs on your tongue
Portuguese: nu e cru Literally: Naked and raw
Polish: bez owijania w bawełnę Literally: Without wrapping in cotton
English: call a spade a spade- French: Ne pas y aller par quatre chemins Literally: Not to go by four roads
- English: not mince one's words
Origin: Chewing softens what is swallowed, so refusing to do it delivers the words at full hardness. French also has mâcher la besogne, to chew the work for someone, on the same figure.
More French idioms
- À la Saint-Glinglin Never — on a day that will never come.
- Une guerre picrocholine A furious conflict over something trivial.
- Est-ce que je te demande si ta grand-mère fait du vélo ? Mind your own business — a retort to an intrusive question.
- Décrocher la lune To achieve the impossible — or, promised, to offer what cannot be delivered.
- Tomber comme à Gravelotte To come down thick and fast, of rain or of blows.
- Veiller au grain To stay alert for trouble.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
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- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.
- Un beau ver vert dans un verre vert verra un ver vert. Ver (worm), vert (green), and verre (glass) are near-homophones — distinguishing them at…
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