IdiomThe Absurd
French
FrenchTomber comme à Gravelotte
Meaning: To come down thick and fast, of rain or of blows.
Literally: To fall as at Gravelotte
Example: “Dès le début de l'orage, les grêlons tombaient comme à Gravelotte.” — As soon as the storm broke, the hailstones came down thick and fast.
English equivalent: Thick and fast
Equivalents in other languages
English: thick and fast
Origin: The battle of Gravelotte in August 1870 saw artillery fire of a density that shocked contemporaries, with tens of thousands of casualties in a day. The phrase is used most often, and quite lightly, of heavy rain.
More French idioms
- Veiller au grain To stay alert for trouble.
- Tomber des hallebardes To rain extremely hard.
- L'été indien A spell of unseasonably warm weather in autumn.
- La partie émergée de l'iceberg The small visible portion of a much larger problem.
- Faire flèche de tout bois To use every available means to achieve an end.
- Blanchir sous le harnais To grow old in a profession.
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