IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchSe faire blackbouler
Meaning: To be rejected, voted down or heavily defeated in an election.
Literally: To get black-balled
Example: “Le candidat s'est fait blackbouler dès le premier tour.” — The candidate was voted down in the very first round.
Origin: From the English blackball: club members voted on candidates by dropping balls into an urn, a single black one being enough to exclude. French borrowed the word in the 19th century and verbed it.
More French idioms
- Rabattre le caquet à quelqu'un To shut someone up; to take an insolent person down a peg.
- Caracoler en tête To lead by a wide margin, especially in a race or in polls.
- Muet comme une carpe Completely silent; saying absolutely nothing.
- La caque sent toujours le hareng However far you rise, low origins always show through.
- Un capitaine d'industrie The head of a large company.
- Il n'y a pas loin du Capitole à la roche Tarpéienne Glory and disgrace are close neighbors — the fall can follow the honors very quickly.
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