IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchUn mauvais coucheur
Meaning: A cantankerous, difficult person.
Literally: A bad bedfellow
Example: “Même au club de pétanque, ce mauvais coucheur trouve le moyen de se disputer.” — Even at the boules club, that cantankerous old grump finds a way to pick a fight.
English equivalent: A pain in the neck
Origin: Travelers at inns routinely shared beds with strangers, so being a bad one to sleep beside was a real and commonly exercised judgment. The literal circumstance vanished and the assessment stayed.
More French idioms
- Un cordon-bleu An outstanding cook.
- Il y a loin de la coupe aux lèvres Much can still go wrong between intention and result.
- Né avec une cuillère d'argent dans la bouche Born into wealth and advantage.
- Des économies de bouts de chandelle Petty economies that save nothing worth having.
- Un étouffe-chrétien Food so dense and stodgy it is hard to swallow.
- Mettre de l'eau dans son vin To moderate one's demands or soften one's position.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Espèce de patate You dim bulb — a potato being the very picture of inert, unthinking stodginess.
- Quel râleur / quelle râleuse You never stop moaning — everything is a complaint, nothing is ever good enough.
- Peau de vache A mean, difficult, and unpleasant person — tough and unyielding like tanned hide.
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