Prendre la poudre d'escampette
Meaning: To clear off in a hurry.
Language: French
Literally: To take the escampette powder
Category: Daily Life
Origin: There is no such plant as escampette. The word is a diminutive of escampe, which in the 16th century meant flight, itself from the verb escamper, a coarse synonym of fuir (to flee) that appears in the 14th century. Escampette survives today in nothing but this one phrase, which dates from the 17th century. The poudre is less certain: it may be the exploding kind that sets someone running, but more likely it is simply the dust of the road that a man in flight was pictured kicking up behind him.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Que dalle — Nothing at all.
- Pédaler dans la semoule — To be confused and getting nowhere.
- Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter — To have more important things to do.
- Avoir le cul entre deux chaises — To be indecisive, caught between two options.
- Les carottes sont cuites — It's too late, nothing can be done.
- Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof — I don't understand anything at all.
More French idioms
- Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard — It's nothing special or impressive.
- C'est comme pisser dans un violon — A completely pointless effort.
- Avoir le cafard — To feel depressed or down.
- Poser un lapin — To stand someone up on a date.
- Tomber dans les pommes — Suddenly losing consciousness — possibly derived from the older expression 'être dans les…
- Avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez — To be getting angry.
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