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se payer la tête de quelqu'un

Meaning: To mock or ridicule someone.

Language: French

Literally: to treat oneself to someone's head

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: 'Se payer' here means 'to treat oneself to', with 'tête' standing in for the person themselves — one treats oneself to someone as an object of ridicule.

More idioms — Body & Senses

  • avoir les sangs tournés — To be profoundly shocked or horrified.
  • fourrer son nez dans les affaires de quelqu'un — To meddle or pry indiscreetly into someone else's affairs.
  • griller les neurones — To drive someone insane or cause them to go mad.
  • ça pique — It is very expensive or causes financial pain.
  • ojito derecho — A person's favorite or most beloved person, especially a child.
  • a todo gañote — At the top of one's voice; very loudly.

More French idioms

  • donner un coup de pied dans la fourmilière — To strike a major blow or take bold action that stirs up considerable agitation and contr…
  • passer d'un excès à l'autre — To swing from one extreme to the opposite extreme without ever finding moderation.
  • remettre en selle — To help someone recover a former position or regain their footing after a setback.
  • prendre des gants — To handle a delicate matter with great tact and care to avoid offending someone.
  • remettre en train — To restart or reactivate something that has stopped or slowed down.
  • vendre chèrement sa peau — To defend oneself fiercely and make a determined stand against those trying to kill you.

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