Ronger son frein
Meaning: To wait in barely contained impatience.
Language: French
Literally: To gnaw one's bit
Category: Animals
Origin: A horse held in check chews at the bit in its mouth, which is the only outlet available to it. The phrase describes restraint imposed from outside rather than chosen.
More idioms — Animals
- Jeter sa gourme — To sow one's wild oats.
- Tirer à hue et à dia — To pull in opposite directions; to work at cross purposes.
- Une grenouille de bénitier — A woman conspicuously and tiresomely devout.
- Faire le pied de grue — To stand around waiting for a long time.
- Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps — A single encouraging sign does not prove a trend.
- Crier haro sur le baudet — To denounce someone publicly and unanimously.
More French idioms
- Courir plusieurs lièvres à la fois — To pursue too many aims at the same time and catch none.
- Lever un lièvre — To raise an awkward question nobody wanted opened.
- Une tête de linotte — A scatterbrain.
- La part du lion — By far the largest portion, taken by the strongest party.
- Être connu comme le loup blanc — To be known by absolutely everyone.
- Se jeter dans la gueule du loup — To walk straight into obvious danger.
From our tongue twisters
- 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.
- Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. — The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? — A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
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