IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchUn pétard mouillé
Meaning: A revelation that was supposed to explode and did not.
Literally: A damp firecracker
Example: “Les révélations promises par le magazine se sont avérées un pétard mouillé.” — The revelations the magazine promised turned out to be a damp squib.
English equivalent: A damp squib
Equivalents in other languages
English: a damp squib
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 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.
Explore another collection: False Friends
Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
Keep exploring