IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchRire comme une baleine
Meaning: To laugh uproariously, with your mouth wide open.
Literally: To laugh like a whale
Example: “Devant la vidéo du chat, elle riait comme une baleine.” — Watching the cat video, she was laughing her head off.
English equivalent: To laugh one's head off
Other ways to say this
Portuguese: morrer de rir Literally: To die of laughing- French: Pisser dans sa culotte Literally: To piss in one's trousers
English: laugh one's head off
Origin: From the whale's enormous gaping mouth, the image being a laugh so unrestrained the jaw drops wide. French has a small family of these comparisons — one also laughs comme un bossu, like a hunchback.
More French idioms
- Compter pour du beurre To count for nothing; to be disregarded.
- Mettre du beurre dans les épinards To improve one's financial situation; to make life a bit more comfortable.
- Beurré comme un p'tit Lu Thoroughly drunk.
- Un compte d'apothicaire A needlessly complicated calculation, usually one padded in the biller's favor.
- Tailler une bavette To have a long, friendly chat.
- Une auberge espagnole A place or discussion in which you find only what you yourself brought to it.
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