plumer la poule sans la faire crier
Meaning: To extract money or advantage from someone so skillfully that they do not complain or resist.
Language: French
Literally: to pluck the hen without making her cry
Category: Animals
Origin: The image is of a farmer plucking feathers from a living hen so deftly that the bird does not cry out in protest—a picture of silent, clever exploitation.
More idioms — Animals
- faire le pont-levis — For a horse to rear up very high.
- faire dresser l’oreille — To catch someone's attention or spark their interest.
- renaître de ses cendres — To rise again and flourish after near-total destruction.
- donner un coup de pied dans la fourmilière — To strike a major blow or take bold action that stirs up considerable agitation and contr…
- remettre en selle — To help someone recover a former position or regain their footing after a setback.
- tener más conchas que un galápago — To be extremely cunning or crafty; to have many tricks up one's sleeve.
More French idioms
- compter sur les doigts d’une main — To be so few in number that they can be counted on five fingers or fewer.
- faire fureur — To provoke great enthusiasm or widespread popularity.
- tirer l’oreille — To scold or reprimand someone.
- pousser les feux — To intensify effort or energy; to redouble one's exertions to achieve a goal.
- courir après les cotillons — To pursue amorous or romantic adventures.
- tirer les oreilles — To scold someone harshly or punish them.
From our tongue twisters
- 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…
- Didon dîna, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon dont le dodu dos dodine. — A 'd' / 'din' / 'dod' avalanche that seems designed to jam the tongue in third gear.
- Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. — The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.