IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchNe pas y aller par quatre chemins
Meaning: To come straight to the point.
Literally: Not to go by four roads
Example: “Le médecin n'y est pas allé par quatre chemins : il faut arrêter de fumer.” — The doctor didn't beat around the bush: you have to quit smoking.
English equivalent: Not to beat around the bush
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 mâcher ses mots Literally: Not to chew one's words
- English: not mince one's words
Origin: Taking four roads to a place you could reach by one is a deliberate detour, so refusing to means going directly. French also has the parallel prendre des chemins de traverse for the opposite habit.
More French idioms
- Déménager à la cloche de bois To do a moonlight flit, leaving without paying the rent.
- Rater le coche To miss an opportunity through being too slow.
- Être coiffé au poteau To be beaten by a hair right at the finish.
- Donner de la confiture à un cochon To waste something fine on someone incapable of appreciating it.
- Un corbeau The anonymous author of poison-pen letters.
- Bayer aux corneilles To stand around idly, staring into space.
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- Quel râleur / quelle râleuse You never stop moaning — everything is a complaint, nothing is ever good enough.
- Peau de vache A mean, difficult, and unpleasant person — tough and unyielding like tanned hide.
- Tu as une cervelle de moineau You're scatterbrained and forgetful.
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