IdiomAnimals
French
FrenchUne bête de somme
Meaning: Someone worked relentlessly at heavy, thankless labor.
Literally: A beast of burden
Example: “Dans ce restaurant, le plongeur est traité comme une bête de somme.” — In that restaurant, the dishwasher is treated like a workhorse.
English equivalent: A workhorse
Equivalents in other languages
English: a workhorse
Origin: Somme here is not a sum but a load, from Latin sagma, a packsaddle — the same root that gives sommier. The phrase says nothing about the work's value, only its weight.
More French idioms
- Cracher dans la soupe To disparage the thing that sustains you.
- Trempé comme une soupe Drenched to the skin.
- Payer rubis sur l'ongle To pay in full, immediately and to the last penny.
- Faire avancer le schmilblick To make actual progress on something.
- Avaler des poires d'angoisse To endure something bitterly painful.
- En cinq sec In no time at all.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- Pas à pas on va bien loin Slow, steady progress takes you a long way.
- Bien mal acquis ne profite jamais What is gained dishonestly brings no lasting good.
- Chaque chose en son temps Deal with things one at a time, when the right moment comes.
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