Un pétard mouillé
Meaning: A revelation that was supposed to explode and did not.
Language: French
Literally: A damp firecracker
Category: Daily Life
Origin: A wet firework fizzles instead of going off, having promised a great deal. It is used almost exclusively of political scandals that failed to land.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Peu ou prou — More or less; to some degree.
- Y a pas photo — It's not even close; there is no question about it.
- Ne tirez pas sur le pianiste — Do not blame the person who is only doing their best with what they were given.
- Qui va piano va sano — Slow and steady is the surer way.
- Prendre le train onze — To go on foot.
- Vieux comme Mathusalem — Extremely old.
More French idioms
- Comme un poisson dans l'eau — Completely at ease in one's element.
- Tuer la poule aux œufs d'or — To destroy a source of steady profit out of greed for all of it at once.
- Écrire un poulet à quelqu'un — To send a love letter.
- À la queue leu leu — In single file, one behind another.
- Avoir la queue entre les jambes — To slink off humiliated.
- Manger à tous les râteliers — To take advantage from all sides at once, with no loyalty to any.
From our false friends
- Assister — Actually means 'to attend' an event. J'assiste à la réunion = I attend the meeting. For a…
- Phrase — Actually means 'sentence'. For a short phrase or expression, say une expression.
- Ignorer — Actually means 'to be unaware of' or 'not to know'. J'ignore la réponse = I don't know th…
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