Prendre ses jambes à son cou
Meaning: To run away very fast.
Language: French
Literally: To take one's legs around one's neck
Category: Body & Senses
Origin: The 17th-century lexicographer Furetière records the earlier form prendre les jambes sur son col — to take one's legs onto one's collar — from the practice of carrying a travel bag slung by its strap across the neck and shoulder. Reminding someone leaving in a hurry not to forget their jambes, their legs, alongside the rest of their luggage was a small joke about not forgetting the one thing you'd actually need if the journey turned into a run. Col softened into the modern cou by the 18th century, and the phrase kept only the running.
Equivalents in other languages
- Hindi: नौ दो ग्यारह होना (nau do gyaarah hona) — literally: To become nine, two, eleven
- Russian: Делать ноги (Delat' nogi) — literally: To make legs
- Ukrainian: Дати драла (Daty drala) — literally: To give a bolt
- English: beat a hasty retreat
More idioms — Body & Senses
- Se lever du pied gauche — To wake up in a bad mood.
- Mettre les pieds dans le plat — To put one's foot in it; to say something awkward or blunt.
- avoir des fourmis — Experiencing a tingling or prickling sensation in a limb losing circulation.
- avoir un chat dans la gorge — Having difficulty speaking due to hoarseness or a sore throat.
- avoir un bleu — Having a bruise on the skin from impact or injury.
- avoir une dent contre quelqu'un — Holding a grudge or resentment toward someone.
More French idioms
- C'est la croix et la bannière — It is an enormous effort or ordeal.
- Faire la fine bouche — To be overly picky or hard to please.
- Avoir le vent en poupe — To be doing very well; everything is going your way.
- Tourner autour du pot — To beat around the bush.
- Avoir la tête dans les nuages — To be a daydreamer; out of touch with reality.
- Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un — To talk behind someone's back.
From our tongue twisters
- 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.