se mettre la rate au court-bouillon
Meaning: To worry pointlessly and obsessively over something.
Language: French
Literally: to put one's spleen into quick-boiled broth
Category: The Absurd
Origin: The image is surreal and absurd—literally cooking one's spleen into a broth—which captures the sense of turning minor concerns into an overwrought emotional stew.
More idioms — The Absurd
- faire fureur — To provoke great enthusiasm or widespread popularity.
- être victime de son succès — To suffer problems or difficulties that arise as a result of becoming too successful.
- ne pas tourner rond — to be unwell or not functioning properly.
- casser le nez à coups d’encensoir — To offer someone clumsy, exaggerated, and insincere flattery to their face.
- péter une baloune — To cause deep disappointment; to shatter someone's illusions or hopes.
- passer d'un excès à l'autre — To swing from one extreme to the opposite extreme without ever finding moderation.
More French idioms
- prendre à la gorge — To seize someone or something forcefully; to make breathing or speech difficult; to trigg…
- regarder la pointe de ses souliers — To lower one's eyes in embarrassment or shame.
- chercher des misères — To deliberately provoke a quarrel with someone.
- faire florès — To achieve success and build a reputation.
- fuir comme la peste — To avoid something or someone as much as possible.
- beurrer épais — To exaggerate or overdo something.
From our untranslatable words
- L'esprit de l'escalier — Thinking of the perfect comeback only after the moment has passed — on your way down the…
- Terroir — The unique character that a place — its soil, climate and tradition — gives to a wine or…
- Râler — To complain and grumble with a certain national flair — a beloved French pastime.