S'occuper de ses oignons
Meaning: To mind one's own business.
Language: French
Literally: To mind one's own onions
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Oignons is old slang for one's own affairs, possibly from the plots villagers were allotted to grow them on. English says beeswax, which is no more explicable.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Pousser des cris d'orfraie — To protest with theatrical outrage.
- Un ouvrier de la onzième heure — A latecomer who receives the same reward as those who did the work.
- La paille et la poutre — Noticing a small fault in others while ignoring a large one in oneself.
- Un homme de paille — A front man acting for someone who stays hidden.
- Envoyer paître — To tell someone to get lost.
- La boîte de Pandore — Something that releases a host of troubles once opened.
More French idioms
- Le dessus du panier — The pick of the crop; the best of a group.
- Un panier percé — Someone incapable of holding on to money.
- Le parcours du combattant — A gruelling series of obstacles.
- La flèche du Parthe — A wounding remark delivered while leaving.
- Graisser la patte — To bribe someone.
- Le haut du pavé — The most privileged position in society.
From our proverbs
- If you wish a thing done, go; if not, send. — Delegating tasks to others risks poor execution; important matters demand your personal a…
- When one door shuts another opens. — Loss creates unexpected opportunities; closing one path often reveals alternatives previo…
- He that's down, down with him. — Mercy vanishes when someone loses power; people instinctively abandon the fallen to suffe…
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