IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchUn panier de crabes
Meaning: A group whose members constantly undermine one another.
Literally: A basket of crabs
Example: “Ce conseil d'administration est un vrai panier de crabes.” — That board of directors is a real nest of vipers.
English equivalent: A nest of vipers
Equivalents in other languages
English: a nest of vipers
Origin: Crabs in an open basket need no lid: each one that starts to climb out is pulled back by the others. The image is used of institutions and boardrooms rather than of individuals.
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: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire Once you have committed to something, you have to go through with it.
- Un malheur ne vient jamais seul Misfortunes tend to come several at once.
- Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir It is better to stop a problem before it happens than to fix it afterwards.
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