IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchUn choix cornélien
Meaning: A dilemma in which every option requires sacrificing something one is bound to.
Literally: A Cornelian choice
Example: “Entre sa carrière à Tokyo et sa famille à Lyon, elle fait face à un choix cornélien.” — Between her career in Tokyo and her family in Lyon, she faces a Sophie's choice.
English equivalent: A Sophie's choice
Equivalents in other languages
English: a Sophie's choice
Origin: From the tragedies of Pierre Corneille, above all Le Cid, where Rodrigue must choose between avenging his father and keeping the woman he loves. The point is that both duties are real, which is what separates it from a merely hard decision.
More French idioms
- Faire la cour à quelqu'un To court someone romantically.
- La cour des grands The top tier, where the serious players are.
- Une fois n'est pas coutume One exception does not establish a habit.
- Pendre la crémaillère To hold a housewarming.
- Riche comme Crésus Enormously wealthy.
- La critique est aisée, mais l'art est difficile Faulting a work costs nothing compared with making one.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des œufs Worthwhile results require some damage along the way.
- Chassez le naturel, il revient au galop You cannot permanently suppress your real character.
- Une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps A single encouraging sign does not prove a trend.
Keep exploring