IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchVouer aux gémonies
Meaning: To denounce someone publicly and utterly.
Literally: To consign to the Gemoniae
Example: “Adulé l'an dernier, l'acteur est aujourd'hui voué aux gémonies par la presse.” — Idolized last year, the actor is now having his name dragged through the mud by the press.
English equivalent: To drag someone's name through the mud
Other ways to say this
Portuguese: arrastar pela lama Literally: To drag through the mud
Polish: zmieszać z błotem Literally: To mix with mud- French: Dire pis que pendre de quelqu'un Literally: To say worse than hanging about someone
English: drag someone's name through the mud
Origin: The Gemonian stairs in Rome were where the bodies of executed criminals were exposed to the crowd before being thrown into the Tiber. The phrase means a destruction of reputation carried out in public and meant to be seen.
More French idioms
- C'est de l'hébreu It is completely incomprehensible.
- Vieux comme Hérode Extremely ancient.
- Un combat homérique A struggle of epic scale and duration.
- Un homme averti en vaut deux Advance warning doubles a person's effectiveness.
- Honi soit qui mal y pense Let anyone who reads something improper into this be the one disgraced.
- À huis clos In closed session, with the public excluded.
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- Tu es un as You're brilliant at what you do — the very best.
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