IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchUne chasse aux sorcières
Meaning: A campaign of persecution driven by suspicion rather than evidence.
Literally: A witch hunt
Example: “Après la fuite, la direction a lancé une véritable chasse aux sorcières.” — After the leak, management launched a real witch hunt.
English equivalent: A witch hunt
Equivalents in other languages
English: a witch hunt
Origin: The literal hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries supplied the term, and the American hearings of the 1950s fixed its modern political sense. Arthur Miller's The Crucible made the parallel explicit.
More French idioms
- Prendre le taureau par les cornes To tackle a difficulty head-on instead of avoiding it.
- Les vaches maigres A period of hardship and scarcity — the opposite of les vaches grasses.
- Les vaches grasses A period of plenty.
- Aller comme un tablier à une vache To suit someone appallingly badly.
- Adorer le veau d'or To make money one's god.
- Une tunique de Nessus A gift that destroys the person who accepts it.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
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- L'habit ne fait pas le moine Appearances do not establish what someone is.
- Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse Constant movement prevents anything from accumulating.
- On ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des œufs Worthwhile results require some damage along the way.
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