IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchParis vaut bien une messe
Meaning: A principle is worth abandoning if the prize is large enough.
Literally: Paris is well worth a mass
Example: “Il déteste les cravates, mais pour décrocher ce poste, il en portera une : Paris vaut bien une messe.” — He hates ties, but he'll wear one to land this job: some prizes are worth bending your principles for.
Origin: Attributed to Henri IV, the Protestant heir who converted to Catholicism in 1593 to take a city that would not accept him otherwise. He probably never said it, and it describes what he did precisely.
More French idioms
- Un moulin à paroles Someone who talks incessantly.
- Sainte Nitouche A woman who feigns innocence she does not have.
- Le nerf de la guerre Money, as the thing without which nothing can be done.
- Convoler en justes noces To get married.
- Trancher le nœud gordien To solve an intractable problem by refusing its terms.
- Chercher des noises To pick a quarrel deliberately.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- L'esprit de l'escalier Thinking of the perfect comeback only after the moment has passed — on your way down the…
- Terroir The unique character that a place — its soil, climate and tradition — gives to a wine or…
- Râler To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.
Keep exploring