IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchTenir la chandelle
Meaning: To be the awkward third party to a couple.
Literally: To hold the candle
Example: “Je ne vais pas au cinéma avec les deux amoureux, je n'ai pas envie de tenir la chandelle.” — I'm not going to the movies with the lovebirds; I don't want to be the third wheel.
English equivalent: To be a third wheel
Equivalents in other languages
Serbian: Држати свећу (Držati sveću) Literally: To hold the candle
English: be a third wheel
Origin: A servant once stood by the marriage bed holding a light, obliged to be present and obliged to see nothing. The role's excruciating superfluity transferred neatly to the friend who has come along on someone else's date.
More French idioms
- Une chiffe molle A spineless person with no will of their own.
- Être au septième ciel To be in a state of perfect happiness.
- Mettre la clé sous la porte To shut up shop; to go out of business.
- Ne pas être grand clerc Not to be much of an expert — used to say that no expertise is needed to see something.
- Déménager à la cloche de bois To do a moonlight flit, leaving without paying the rent.
- Rater le coche To miss an opportunity through being too slow.
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