IdiomAnimals
FrenchCrude
FrenchCrudeNe pas valoir un pet de lapin
Meaning: To be entirely worthless.
Literally: Not to be worth a rabbit's fart
Example: “Son vieux vélo rouillé ne vaut pas un pet de lapin.” — His rusty old bike isn't worth a hill of beans.
English equivalent: Not worth a hill of beans
Other ways to say this
Spanish: de tres al cuarto Literally: Of three to the quarter
English: not worth a hill of beans- French: Ne pas valoir tripette Literally: Not to be worth a little tripe
Origin: The construction picks the most negligible thing available and then halves it. French has a family of these worth-nothing comparisons, and this is the most cheerfully dismissive of them.
More French idioms
- C'est la mer à boire It is an impossible or endless task — most often used in the negative.
- Faire son miel de quelque chose To turn something to one's own advantage.
- La substantifique moelle The essential substance of something, reached only by real effort.
- Refiler la patate chaude To hand an awkward problem to someone else.
- Dans le pétrin In serious trouble.
- Avoir du pain sur la planche To have a great deal of work ahead.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
- Sympathique Actually means 'nice' or 'pleasant'. Il est très sympathique = He's very nice — not 'He's…
- Rester Actually means 'to stay' or 'to remain'. Je reste ici = I'm staying here — not taking a n…
- Attendre Actually means 'to wait for'. J'attends le bus = I'm waiting for the bus. For attend an e…
Keep exploring