Tuer dans l'œuf
Meaning: To stop something before it can develop.
Language: French
Literally: To kill in the egg
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Acting at the earliest possible stage, when the cost of doing so is lowest. English nips in the bud, choosing a plant where French chooses an animal.
More idioms — Daily Life
- À pied d'œuvre — On site and ready to begin.
- S'occuper de ses oignons — To mind one's own business.
- Pousser des cris d'orfraie — To protest with theatrical outrage.
- Un ouvrier de la onzième heure — A latecomer who receives the same reward as those who did the work.
- La paille et la poutre — Noticing a small fault in others while ignoring a large one in oneself.
- Un homme de paille — A front man acting for someone who stays hidden.
More French idioms
- Envoyer paître — To tell someone to get lost.
- La boîte de Pandore — Something that releases a host of troubles once opened.
- Le dessus du panier — The pick of the crop; the best of a group.
- Un panier percé — Someone incapable of holding on to money.
- Le parcours du combattant — A gruelling series of obstacles.
- La flèche du Parthe — A wounding remark delivered while leaving.
From our untranslatable words
- Épanouissement — The full flourishing of a person — blooming into your most complete, radiant self. More t…
- Ressourcement — The act of returning to one's roots or origins to find renewal — going back to a place, t…
- Dépaysement — The disorienting yet often pleasant feeling of being far from home, immersed in the unfam…
Browse all untranslatable words →
Loading the full interactive collection…