IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchSe serrer la ceinture
Meaning: To economize and go without.
Literally: To tighten one's belt
Example: “Avec la hausse des loyers, beaucoup d'étudiants doivent se serrer la ceinture.” — With rents going up, many students have to tighten their belts.
English equivalent: To tighten one's belt
Other ways to say this
Russian: Положить зубы на полку (Polozhit' zuby na polku) Literally: To put your teeth on the shelf
Hungarian: Felkopik az álla Literally: His chin wears thin- French: Réduire la voilure Literally: To reduce the sail
English: tighten one's belt
Origin: A belt is taken in as the wearer loses weight, so tightening it is the visible evidence of eating less. The same figure exists in English and German, all of them older than the household budgets they now describe.
More French idioms
- Sur les chapeaux de roues At top speed; also, of a start, immediately and forcefully.
- Avoir voix au chapitre To have a say in a decision.
- Trouver chaussure à son pied To find exactly the right match, usually a partner.
- Ne pas y aller par quatre chemins To come straight to the point.
- Un chevalier d'industrie A swindler who lives by his wits at others' expense.
- La cheville ouvrière The linchpin — the person or thing on which an entire operation turns.
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