Retourner sa veste
Meaning: To change one's allegiance opportunistically.
Language: French
Literally: To turn one's jacket inside out
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The same figure as tourner casaque brought forward to modern dress, and the more common of the two today. It is always pejorative, implying the change follows advantage rather than conviction.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Coiffer Sainte Catherine — To reach twenty-five while still unmarried — said of a woman.
- Être sujet à caution — To be unreliable; not to be taken at face value.
- Caviarder un texte — To censor a piece of writing by blacking out passages.
- Se serrer la ceinture — To economize and go without.
- La femme de César ne doit pas être soupçonnée — Those in public office must be above even the appearance of wrongdoing.
- Se réduire comme une peau de chagrin — To dwindle away steadily until nothing is left.
More French idioms
- Appuyer sur le champignon — To accelerate hard; to floor it.
- Devoir une fière chandelle à quelqu'un — To owe someone a considerable debt of gratitude.
- Le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle — The effort or cost outweighs anything to be gained.
- Tenir la chandelle — To be the awkward third party to a couple.
- Sur les chapeaux de roues — At top speed; also, of a start, immediately and forcefully.
- Avoir voix au chapitre — To have a say in a decision.
From our false friends
- Sensible — Actually means 'sensitive'. For sensible/level-headed, say raisonnable.
- Librairie — Actually means 'bookshop'. A library is une bibliothèque.
- Pain — Actually means 'bread'. The hurting kind of pain is la douleur.
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