IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchPrendre au mot
Meaning: To hold someone to exactly what they said.
Literally: To take at the word
Example: “Tu as dit que tu ferais la vaisselle toute la semaine ? Je te prends au mot.” — You said you'd do the dishes all week? I'll take you at your word.
English equivalent: To take someone at their word
Equivalents in other languages
English: take someone at their word
Origin: The point is usually that the speaker did not mean it literally and is now stuck with it. It is a small act of aggression disguised as agreement.
More French idioms
- Être en odeur de sainteté To be in favor with someone in authority.
- Œil pour œil, dent pour dent Retaliation exactly proportionate to the injury.
- Tuer dans l'œuf To stop something before it can develop.
- À pied d'œuvre On site and ready to begin.
- S'occuper de ses oignons To mind one's own business.
- Pousser des cris d'orfraie To protest with theatrical outrage.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.
- 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.
Keep exploring