IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchUn pince-sans-rire
Meaning: Someone who jokes with a completely straight face.
Literally: A pinch-without-laughing
Example: “Ce professeur est un pince-sans-rire : on ne sait jamais s'il plaisante.” — This teacher has a deadpan humor: you never know whether he's joking.
Origin: From an old game in which a player blackened his fingers and pinched another's face while both tried not to laugh. The phrase kept the composure and dropped the soot.
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- Péter les plombs To lose one's temper completely.
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- En grande pompe With elaborate ceremony.
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