Un violon d'Ingres
Meaning: A serious passion pursued outside one's actual profession.
Language: French
Literally: An Ingres's violin
Category: Daily Life
Origin: The painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres played the violin devotedly and was said to prize his playing above his painting. Man Ray's photograph of a woman's back marked with f-holes made the phrase permanently visual.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Un coup de Jarnac — An unexpected decisive stroke, delivered within the rules but not quite sportingly.
- Jeux de mains, jeux de vilains — Horseplay ends badly.
- On ne peut être juge et partie — Nobody may rule on a matter in which they have an interest.
- Un jugement de Salomon — A ruling of great wisdom that exposes the truth by testing it.
- C'est kif-kif — It makes no difference at all.
- Une fine lame — A highly skilled practitioner.
More French idioms
- Sur l'air des lampions — Chanted rhythmically on three insistent notes, as a crowd does.
- Perdre son latin — To be completely baffled by something.
- Se reposer sur ses lauriers — To coast on past achievements instead of continuing to work.
- Au pied de la lettre / À la lettre — Literally, in the strictest sense.
- Entrer en lice — To join a contest or dispute.
- Se faire limoger — To be relieved of a post; to be sacked.
From our compliments & insults
- Tu déchires — You're awesome — you totally rock.
- Bête comme ses pieds — Really not very bright.
- Avoir un poil dans la main — To be incurably lazy.
Browse all compliments & insults →
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