IdiomBody & Senses
French
FrenchTenir à quelque chose comme à la prunelle de ses yeux
Meaning: To guard something as one's most precious possession.
Literally: To hold to something like the pupil of one's eye
Example: “Il tient à sa collection de vinyles comme à la prunelle de ses yeux.” — His vinyl collection is the apple of his eye.
English equivalent: The apple of one's eye
Equivalents in other languages
Urdu: آنکھوں کا تارا (Aankhon ka tara) Literally: The star of the eyes
Spanish: ojito derecho Literally: Little right eye
English: apple of one's eye
Origin: Prunelle is the pupil, named for the sloe it resembles. The pupil was thought the most delicate and irreplaceable part of the body, which is why English arrived at the apple of one's eye from the same reasoning.
More French idioms
- De la poudre de perlimpinpin A worthless remedy sold with great confidence.
- Un lit de Procuste A standard imposed regardless of what it does to the thing being measured.
- Le rocher de Sisyphe A labor that must be repeated forever and never completes.
- Le supplice de Tantale Having what one wants permanently in sight and permanently out of reach.
- Une solution de continuité A break or gap — not, despite appearances, a solution to anything.
- Demain, on rase gratis A promise perpetually postponed.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
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- Il y a un commencement à tout Everything has to start somewhere; first attempts are allowed to be clumsy.
- Trop de zèle gâte tout Too much eagerness ruins things.
- Mieux vaut être tête de chien que queue de lion It is better to lead something small than to follow in something great.
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