S'entendre comme larrons en foire
Meaning: To be thick as thieves; to understand one another perfectly.
Language: French
Literally: To get on like thieves at a fair
Category: Animals
Origin: A fair drew crowds and therefore pickpockets, who cooperated with unusual efficiency because the takings depended on it. Larron is an archaic word for thief, surviving essentially only here.
More idioms — Animals
- Des yeux de merlan frit — A soppy, languishing look.
- Payer en monnaie de singe — To pay with worthless promises instead of money.
- La montagne accouche d'une souris — A vast effort or grand announcement produces something trivial.
- La mouche du coche — Someone who bustles importantly while contributing nothing.
- On n'attrape pas les mouches avec du vinaigre — Gentleness achieves what harshness cannot.
- Prendre la mouche — To take sudden and disproportionate offense.
More French idioms
- À la fortune du pot — Taking potluck; sharing whatever happens to be cooking.
- Séparer le bon grain de l'ivraie — To distinguish what is valuable from what is worthless.
- Se demander si c'est du lard ou du cochon — To be unable to tell what something is or how it is meant.
- Une autre paire de manches — A different matter entirely; a far harder proposition.
- Faire du lèche-vitrine — To go window shopping.
- L'huile de coude — Hard physical effort; elbow grease.
From our compliments & insults
- Casse-pieds — A massive bore or pain in the neck — someone who wears you down with their irritating way…
- Espèce de patate — You dim bulb — a potato being the very picture of inert, unthinking stodginess.
- Quel râleur / quelle râleuse — You never stop moaning — everything is a complaint, nothing is ever good enough.
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