IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchUn homme de l'art
Meaning: A qualified professional, especially a physician.
Literally: A man of the art
Example: “Pour cette douleur au dos, il faut consulter un homme de l'art.” — For that back pain, you need to see a professional.
Origin: Art here keeps the older sense of a body of skilled practice, as in the art of medicine. The phrase survives mainly in legal and medical registers, where it distinguishes the trained practitioner from the amateur.
More French idioms
- Dans tous les azimuts In every direction at once; scattered and unfocused.
- Une tour de Babel A place of hopeless confusion, especially one where nobody speaks the same language.
- Plier bagage To pack up and clear off, usually in a hurry.
- Ça fait un bail It has been ages.
- Un baiser de Judas A show of affection that conceals a betrayal.
- La balle est dans votre camp It is your turn to act; the decision now rests with you.
Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words
Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.
- 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…
Keep exploring