Travailler pour le roi de Prusse
Meaning: To work for nothing.
Language: French
Literally: To work for the King of Prussia
Category: Daily Life
Origin: In the texts from about the middle of the 19th century, and unexplained — four accounts circulate. The pay of Prussian mercenaries at the start of the 18th century was derisory. A song of 1757 mocking the Prince de Soubise's defeat at Rossbach contained the line il a travaillé pour le roi de Prusse. Frederick William I, father of the Frederick who won Rossbach, was miserly past all reason and paid those who worked for him very little. And Charles Rozan, in 1857, suggests the phrase is Voltaire's: he took refuge with Frederick the Great in 1750 and handled business for him against promises of reward that Frederick did not keep, which ended the friendship and left Voltaire complaining that he had worked for the King of Prussia.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Rôtir le balai — To live in poverty — and later, to live a life of debauchery.
- Dormir comme un sabot — To sleep very deeply.
- Tout schuss — Flat out; or straight down, without deviating.
- Chanter comme une seringue / Chanter comme une casserole — To sing badly out of tune.
- Pédaler dans la semoule — To be confused and getting nowhere.
- Avoir d'autres chats à fouetter — To have more important things to do.
More French idioms
- Se magner la rondelle — To get a move on. Vulgar.
- Avoir les deux pieds dans le même sabot — To be incapable of acting; to sit there doing nothing.
- Balancer la sauce / Envoyer la sauce — To ejaculate; to fire a burst from a weapon; or to open the throttle. Vulgar in the first…
- Ça ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard — It's nothing special or impressive.
- C'est comme pisser dans un violon — A completely pointless effort.
- Avoir le cafard — To feel depressed or down.
From our false friends
- Rester — Actually means 'to stay' or 'to remain'. Je reste ici = I'm staying here — not taking a n…
- Attendre — Actually means 'to wait for'. J'attends le bus = I'm waiting for the bus. For attend an e…
- Actuel — Actually means 'current' or 'present-day'. Actuellement = currently — not 'actually'.
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