FrenchRéduire la voilure
Meaning: To cut back on spending, resources, or ambitions.
Literally: To reduce the sail
Example: “Avec la hausse des loyers, la librairie a dû réduire la voilure et fermer une boutique.” — With rents going up, the bookstore had to scale back and close one of its shops.
English equivalent: To tighten one's belt
Other ways to say this
Russian: Положить зубы на полку (Polozhit' zuby na polku) Literally: To put your teeth on the shelf
Hungarian: Felkopik az álla Literally: His chin wears thin
English: tighten one's belt- French: Se serrer la ceinture Literally: To tighten one's belt
Origin: From sailing. Voilure is the whole set of a ship's sails, and when the wind rises a crew reduces it, reefing sails (folding part of them away) or taking some down, so the ship carries less canvas and stays under control. The figurative use, common in business and political reporting, treats cuts to spending, staff or ambitions the same way: not abandoning the voyage, just carrying less to ride out bad weather.
More French idioms
- Être dos au mur To be in a desperate situation with no way to retreat or escape.
- Se mettre la rate au court-bouillon To worry pointlessly and obsessively over something.
- Prendre à la gorge To seize someone or something forcefully; to make breathing or speech difficult; to trigg…
- Regarder la pointe de ses souliers To lower one's eyes in embarrassment or shame.
- Chercher des misères To deliberately provoke a quarrel with someone.
- Beurrer épais (Quebec French) To exaggerate or overdo something.
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