IdiomFood & Drink
French
FrenchRaconter des salades
Meaning: To tell lies or tall tales.
Literally: To tell salads
Example: “Arrête de me raconter des salades, je sais que tu n'étais pas malade.” — Stop telling me stories; I know you weren't sick.
English equivalent: To tell tall tales
Origin: A salad is a mix of ingredients tossed together, and the phrase treats a lie the same way: bits of truth, invention and excuse mixed so they go down easily. It is usually dated to the 19th century, but no source documents how it began; the mixed-salad explanation is the one dictionaries give.
Other ways to say this
Russian: Не вешай лапшу на уши (Ne veshay lapshu na ushi) Literally: Don't hang noodles on my ears
Latvian: Pūst pīlītes Literally: To blow little ducks
Romanian: A umbla cu cioara vopsită Literally: To go around with a painted crow- Russian: пудрить мозги (pudrit' mozgi) Literally: To powder the brains
English: pull the wool over someone's eyes- French: Jeter de la poudre aux yeux Literally: To throw powder in the eyes
- English: tell tall tales
More French idioms
- 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.
- Noyer le poisson To confuse the issue deliberately; to dodge a question.
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