Pédaler dans la semoule
Meaning: To be confused and getting nowhere.
Language: French
Literally: To pedal in the semolina
Category: Food & Drink
Origin: From cycling, early 20th century — and semoule (semolina) was not the original grain. The phrase started as pédaler dans la choucroute: sauerkraut used to be made at home by treading the cabbage underfoot to pack it down, and a cyclist who could no longer make his legs do useful work looked exactly like a man stamping fruitlessly in a barrel of it. Pédaler itself, per the FEW, comes from an Old French verb meaning to tamp down with the foot, from Latin pes, pedis — foot. Sauerkraut eventually lost out to semolina in most of the country, though pédaler dans la choucroute and even dans le yaourt both still turn up regionally.
More idioms — Food & Drink
- Raconter des salades — To tell lies or tall tales.
- En faire tout un fromage — To make a big deal out of nothing.
- Mettre son grain de sel — To give an unsolicited opinion.
- Les carottes sont cuites — It's too late, nothing can be done.
- Tomaten auf den Augen haben — To be oblivious to what's right in front of you.
- Um den heißen Brei herumreden — To beat around the bush.
More French idioms
- Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter — To have more important things to do.
- Couper les cheveux en quatre — To over-analyze or split hairs.
- Se regarder le nombril — To be self-centered or narcissistic.
- Avoir le cul entre deux chaises — To be indecisive, caught between two options.
- Casser les pieds à quelqu'un — To annoy or bore someone greatly.
- Avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre — To want to have it both ways.