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Une parole d'évangile

Meaning: An incontestable truth.

Language: French

Literally: A word of gospel

Category: Daily Life

Origin: From the Christian reading of the Gospels as the unquestionable word of God, whatever differences of perspective the four accounts show. In practice the phrase is most often used in the negative — ce n'est pas parole d'évangile — to warn that something should not be swallowed whole.

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  • La bave du crapaud n'atteint pas la blanche colombe — Insults from a contemptible source cannot touch the person they target.
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