IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchSur l'air des lampions
Meaning: Chanted rhythmically on three insistent notes, as a crowd does.
Literally: To the tune of the lanterns
Example: “Les supporters réclamaient l'entraîneur sur l'air des lampions.” — The fans chanted for the coach over and over in a singsong chorus.
Origin: In 1848 Parisian crowds demanded street illumination by chanting des lampions! des lampions! on a flat repeated rhythm. The tune outlived the demand and now carries whatever a crowd wants repeated.
More French idioms
- Par le petit bout de la lorgnette From a needlessly narrow point of view.
- Être une lumière To be highly intelligent — used almost exclusively in the negative.
- Une lune de miel The first happy period of a marriage, or of any new arrangement.
- Bien luné In a good mood — and mal luné, in a bad one.
- Depuis belle lurette For ages; for a very long time.
- Depuis des lustres For a very long time.
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