{"id":17070,"date":"2019-04-20T18:03:22","date_gmt":"2019-04-20T16:03:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/?p=17070"},"modified":"2022-06-08T21:25:13","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T19:25:13","slug":"10-english-sayings-that-dont-work-in-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/10-english-sayings-that-dont-work-in-french\/","title":{"rendered":"10 English Sayings That Don&#8217;t Work in French"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">10 English Sayings That Don&#8217;t Work in French<\/span><\/h2><div id=\"disco-3799561277\" class=\"disco-social-pug-2019 disco-entity-placement\"><p><div  class=\"dpsp-shortcode-wrapper dpsp-shape-rounded dpsp-size-medium dpsp-column-auto dpsp-has-spacing dpsp-has-buttons-count dpsp-show-on-mobile dpsp-button-style-6\"><ul class=\"dpsp-networks-btns-wrapper dpsp-networks-btns-share dpsp-networks-btns-content dpsp-column-auto \" style=\"padding:0;margin:0;list-style-type:none\">\n<li class=\"dpsp-network-list-item dpsp-network-list-item-facebook\" style=\"float:left\">\n\t<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.discoverwalks.com%2Fblog%2F10-english-sayings-that-dont-work-in-french%2F&#038;t=10%20English%20Sayings%20That%20Don%27t%20Work%20in%20French\" class=\"dpsp-network-btn dpsp-facebook dpsp-has-count dpsp-first dpsp-has-label\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" title=\"Share on Facebook\" style=\"font-size:14px;padding:0rem;max-height:40px\" >\t<span class=\"dpsp-network-icon \">\n\t\t<span class=\"dpsp-network-icon-inner\" ><svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewBox=\"0 0 18 32\"><path d=\"M17.12 0.224v4.704h-2.784q-1.536 0-2.080 0.64t-0.544 1.92v3.392h5.248l-0.704 5.28h-4.544v13.568h-5.472v-13.568h-4.544v-5.28h4.544v-3.904q0-3.328 1.856-5.152t4.96-1.824q2.624 0 4.064 0.224z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"dpsp-network-label\">Share<\/span><span class=\"dpsp-network-count\">102<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"dpsp-network-list-item dpsp-network-list-item-pinterest\" style=\"float:left\">\n\t<button rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.discoverwalks.com%2Fblog%2F10-english-sayings-that-dont-work-in-french%2F&#038;media=&#038;description=10%20English%20Sayings%20That%20Don%27t%20Work%20in%20French\" class=\"dpsp-network-btn dpsp-pinterest dpsp-last dpsp-has-label\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Save to Pinterest\" title=\"Save to Pinterest\" style=\"font-size:14px;padding:0rem;max-height:40px\" >\t<span class=\"dpsp-network-icon \">\n\t\t<span class=\"dpsp-network-icon-inner\" ><svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\" viewBox=\"0 0 23 32\"><path d=\"M0 10.656q0-1.92 0.672-3.616t1.856-2.976 2.72-2.208 3.296-1.408 3.616-0.448q2.816 0 5.248 1.184t3.936 3.456 1.504 5.12q0 1.728-0.32 3.36t-1.088 3.168-1.792 2.656-2.56 1.856-3.392 0.672q-1.216 0-2.4-0.576t-1.728-1.568q-0.16 0.704-0.48 2.016t-0.448 1.696-0.352 1.28-0.48 1.248-0.544 1.12-0.832 1.408-1.12 1.536l-0.224 0.096-0.16-0.192q-0.288-2.816-0.288-3.36 0-1.632 0.384-3.68t1.184-5.152 0.928-3.616q-0.576-1.152-0.576-3.008 0-1.504 0.928-2.784t2.368-1.312q1.088 0 1.696 0.736t0.608 1.824q0 1.184-0.768 3.392t-0.8 3.36q0 1.12 0.8 1.856t1.952 0.736q0.992 0 1.824-0.448t1.408-1.216 0.992-1.696 0.672-1.952 0.352-1.984 0.128-1.792q0-3.072-1.952-4.8t-5.12-1.728q-3.552 0-5.952 2.304t-2.4 5.856q0 0.8 0.224 1.536t0.48 1.152 0.48 0.832 0.224 0.544q0 0.48-0.256 1.28t-0.672 0.8q-0.032 0-0.288-0.032-0.928-0.288-1.632-0.992t-1.088-1.696-0.576-1.92-0.192-1.92z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t<\/span>\n\t<span class=\"dpsp-network-label\">Pin<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The loss of translation when it comes to English to French phrases isn\u2019t so much in the meaning as it is in the wording. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">There are an abundance of French sayings that simply don\u2019t work when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/10-french-sayings-that-dont-work-in-english\/\">translated into English<\/a> \u2014 this being due to the fact that there aren\u2019t always English equivalents for the required words.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17072\" style=\"width: 977px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17072\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17072\" src=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1523903716430-8b05cc1ce968.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"967\" height=\"725\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1523903716430-8b05cc1ce968.jpg 924w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1523903716430-8b05cc1ce968-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1523903716430-8b05cc1ce968-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1523903716430-8b05cc1ce968-816x612.jpg 816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 967px) 100vw, 967px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17072\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">by Alexandra &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/JYBBcCbRaFc\">Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Similarly, there are many English sayings that don\u2019t work at all in French. The translated words aren\u2019t able to grasp the same analogies or metaphoric suggestions that the original <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/how-to-find-english-speaking-movies-in-paris\/\">English<\/a> ones are. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Here are ten examples of sayings that are better left to English.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>1.<\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>Caught between a rock and a hard place<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Pris entre le marteau et l&#8217;enclume<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">This is a very popular phrased used amongst English speaking people all the time. The intention behind it is to express a situation whereby an individual finds themselves torn between two evils. Neither option is notably positive nor better than the next. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Unfortunately, when translated to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/top-10-most-beautiful-overlooked-french-castles-near-paris\/\">French<\/a>, the equivalent words for rock and hard place change to hammer &amp; anvil. It\u2019s almost there, but not quite. Expect slight confusion should you decided to go ahead and throw it into French conversation.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>2.<\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>Grinning from ear to ear<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Avoir la bouche fendue jusqu&#8217;aux oreilles<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">When translated directly into French this English expression quickly loses it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/top-romantic-spots-in-paris\/\">romantic<\/a> undertones. The French equivalent actually denotes to \u201chaving your mouth split to the ears\u201d which can be problematic especially in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/a-visit-to-the-medieval-museum-of-paris\/\">Medieval<\/a> context. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Of course, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/how-to-find-english-speaking-shows-in-paris\/\">English<\/a> saying was intended to describe someone who is experience immense happiness and who simply cannot stop smiling. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">There are many things in Â鶹APP that leave one wanting to express this kind of emotion. One\u2019s first sighting of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/how-to-visit-the-eiffel-tower-with-kids\/\">Eiffel Tower<\/a>, perhaps; or enjoying the sunset from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/best-rooftops-paris-ultimate-guide\/\">terrace<\/a> in Montmartre; or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/tour\/city\/paris-walking-tours\/\"><span class=\"s3\"><b>free guided walking tour<\/b><\/span><\/a> through your favorite arrondissement. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cOverjoyed\u201d would be a good word to use.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17073\" style=\"width: 889px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17073\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17073\" src=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1533227268428-f9ed0900fb3b.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"879\" height=\"760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1533227268428-f9ed0900fb3b.jpg 879w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1533227268428-f9ed0900fb3b-300x259.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1533227268428-f9ed0900fb3b-768x664.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1533227268428-f9ed0900fb3b-816x706.jpg 816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 879px) 100vw, 879px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17073\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Grinning from ear to ear &#8211; by bruce mars &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/\">Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p5\"><span class=\"s1\">3.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>The straw that broke the camel&#8217;s back<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>C&#8217;est la goutte d&#8217;eau qui fait d\u00e9border le vase<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">The English use this phrase to refer to something that pushed something else over the edge; the final straw, if you will. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/a-guide-to-watching-french-tv\/\">French<\/a> the phrase intends to say the same thing but uses drops of water an a near full vase to create a similar visual. In spite of the wording being vastly different, it kind of works!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">4.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>An apple a day keeps the doctor away <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Une pomme par jour, en forme toujours<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">The French equivalent for this expression is always funny, because it completely excludes the existence of a doctor at all. Instead of keeping the doctor away, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/how-to-flirt-in-french\/\">French<\/a> prefer to say \u201calways in shape\u201d \u2014 which is good enough for me. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">On rare occasions you\u2019ll encounter very ambitious individuals who use the phrase \u201cLa pomme du matin tue le m\u00e9decin\u201d \u2014 this directly translates to the morning apple killing the doctor \u2014 isn\u2019t it perfect?<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17074\" style=\"width: 1060px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17074\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17074\" src=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1513677785800-9df79ae4b10b.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1513677785800-9df79ae4b10b.jpg 924w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1513677785800-9df79ae4b10b-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1513677785800-9df79ae4b10b-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1513677785800-9df79ae4b10b-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1513677785800-9df79ae4b10b-816x544.jpg 816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17074\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">by Benjamin Wong &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/qVywyNo9_-E\">Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">5.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>To call a spade a spade&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Il faut appeler un chat un chat<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">I\u2019ve not been able to figure out why the direct translation for spade becomes cat. Nevertheless, this phrase becomes ten times more wonderful in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/where-to-find-and-eat-french-delicacies-in-paris\/\">French<\/a> and essentially loses none of its meaning in the process. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The saying is used by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/comedy-in-english-in-paris\/\">English<\/a> to describe someone who say it like it is; who doesn\u2019t beat around the bush and will be honest &amp; blunt if necessary. Whether you\u2019re calling out a spade or a cat is seemly irrelevant. <\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">6.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>I&#8217;ve put my foot in it<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Se mettre le doigt dans l&#8217;\u0153il<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">This saying is used in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/top-10-french-words-english-people-love\/\">English<\/a> language when someone feels as though they have gotten themselves into a compromising situation thanks to something they have said. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The French translation equates to putting your finger in your eye; which is probably not far from how you\u2019re feeling in context.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">7.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>To drink like a fish<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Boire comme un trou<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s unclear as to why this particular saying achieved such popularity in the English language; it hardly makes sense even then. When translates into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/joan-of-arc-heroine-of-france\/\">French<\/a> it is even more nonsensical. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><em>Un trou<\/em> literally means a hole. I suppose pouring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/top-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-wine-in-paris\/\">wine<\/a> down both a hole or a fish could equate to mass consumption \u2014 did I get it right?<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17075\" style=\"width: 1090px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17075\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17075\" src=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1485199433301-8b7102e86995.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1080\" height=\"693\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1485199433301-8b7102e86995.jpg 924w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1485199433301-8b7102e86995-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1485199433301-8b7102e86995-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1485199433301-8b7102e86995-1024x657.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1485199433301-8b7102e86995-816x524.jpg 816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17075\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Love in Â鶹APP &#8211; by Fabrizio Verrecchia &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/\">Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">8.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>I fell head over heels in love<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Je suis tomb\u00e9e face premi\u00e8re en amour<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">A beautiful saying used to describe the experience of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/paris-for-lovers\/\">falling in love<\/a>, head over heels, out of control, upside down and wrong way around. In French the saying translates to falling \u201cface first in love\u201d, which isn\u2019t far off but isn\u2019t quite right either. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">As you know, Â鶹APP is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/top-10-things-people-love-paris\/\">city of love<\/a> and so being able to express ones self properly when it comes to the subject is important. Sayings like this one are imperative to the romanic nature of the city and what goes on throughout the streets. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Whether you\u2019re walking the banks of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/top-5-best-drinking-spots-along-the-seine-river\/\">Seine<\/a> or visiting the Mus\u00e9e de la Vie Romantique keep an eye out for your own opportunity to fall face first . <\/span><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">9.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>He has one foot in the grave<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>Sentir le sapin <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">This phrase is used when attempting to describe a person who is nearing the end of their life and clearly doesn\u2019t have very long left on Earth. Instead of the direct translation of the phrase, the French say \u201csmell the tree\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Over the years it has been widely speculated for this saying to refer to the trees used to provide the wood that makes one\u2019s coffin.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17076\" style=\"width: 1060px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17076\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17076\" src=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1506280225777-ced660ce8f16.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1506280225777-ced660ce8f16.jpg 924w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1506280225777-ced660ce8f16-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1506280225777-ced660ce8f16-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1506280225777-ced660ce8f16-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/photo-1506280225777-ced660ce8f16-816x544.jpg 816w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17076\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graves &#8211; by Anton Darius | @theSollers &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/lQMtXKvBmuw\">Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s1\">10.<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Phrase: <\/b>Beggars can\u2019t be choosers <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Translation: <\/b>N\u00e9cessit\u00e9 fait loi<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Intention:<\/b><\/span><b> <\/b><span class=\"s1\">If you ever asked your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/10-french-sayings-that-dont-work-in-english\/\">English<\/a> speaking parents for something growing up its likely they hit you with this clever phrase at least a few times in response. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Beggars not being able to choose insinuates you should take what you get and be happy with it. The only way to say this (partially) in French is by saying \u201cnecessity made law\u201d. Learning this I find myself wishing I\u2019d heard this growing up instead; it would far better justify the displeased expression on my face.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"disco-845393182\" class=\"disco-amazon-box-2024 disco-entity-placement\"><div style=\"width: 100%; border: 2px solid lightgray; padding: 3% 6% 3% 3%; border-radius: 5px;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Planning a trip to Â鶹APP ? Get ready !<\/p>\n<hr style=\"border: 1px solid #c4336e; width: 100%; margin: 5px auto 25px auto;\" \/>\n<p>These are\u00a0<strong>Amazon&#8217;s\u00a0best-selling<\/strong>\u00a0travel products that you may need for coming to Â鶹APP.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>Bookstore<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>The best travel book : Rick Steves &#8211; Â鶹APP 2023<\/strong> <strong>&#8211;\u00a0<a class=\"ricksteves1\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3rEUV7n\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Fodor&#8217;s Â鶹APP 2024 &#8211;\u00a0<a class=\"lonelyplanet1\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3RVYQqV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><strong>Travel Gear<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack &#8211;\u00a0<a class=\"venturebackpack1\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Fg15xU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Samsonite Winfield 2 28&#8243; Luggage &#8211;\u00a0<a class=\"samsnonite1\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3PTNRM1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Swig Savvy&#8217;s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0<a class=\"waterbottle1\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/46GvhhP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Learn more here<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong><a class=\"ourtravellist1\" title=\"This external link will open in a new window\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2uIsJ55\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Check Amazon\u2019s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. <\/a>We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>10 English Sayings That Don&#8217;t Work in French The loss of translation when it comes to English to French phrases isn\u2019t so much in the meaning as it is in the wording. There are an abundance of French sayings that simply don\u2019t work when translated into English \u2014 this being due to the fact that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1571,"featured_media":17071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[1927,1928,777],"class_list":["post-17070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-paris-before-you-travel","tag-english-sayings-that-dont-work-in-french","tag-english-to-french-translations","tag-paris"],"acf":[],"followers":[],"followers_count":0,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>10 English Sayings That Don&#039;t Work in French - Discover Walks Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwalks.com\/blog\/10-english-sayings-that-dont-work-in-french\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 English Sayings That Don&#039;t Work in French - Discover Walks Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"10 English Sayings That Don&#8217;t Work in French The loss of translation when it comes to English to French phrases isn\u2019t so much in the meaning as it is in the wording. 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