IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchSavoir où le bât blesse
Meaning: To know exactly where the real difficulty or sore point lies.
Literally: To know where the packsaddle chafes
Example: “Le projet est séduisant, mais on sait où le bât blesse : le budget.” — The project is appealing, but we know where the shoe pinches: the budget.
English equivalent: To know where the shoe pinches
Equivalents in other languages
English: Know where the shoe pinches
Origin: The bât is the wooden packsaddle strapped to a donkey or mule. A badly fitted one rubs the animal raw in one particular spot, and only someone who knows where can relieve it.
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.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
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- La beauté ne se mange pas en salade Good looks alone don't put food on the table or make a good partner.
- On ne change pas une équipe qui gagne Don't change something that's working.
- La curiosité est un vilain défaut Being too curious about others' business is a bad habit.
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