Expressions Related to Food

As you might have noticed, the French always talk about food. As a consequence we have hundreds of expressions related to dishes, ingredients, utensils… As we often use or hear them, we don’t necessarily pay any attention but literally translated in English, many of them can seem so strange or even absurd. There is always an explanation.

Expression française liée à la cuisine voir la pêche

Why do the French say they “have the peach”

The French idiom “Avoir la pêche” (lit. to have the peach) is used to mean to be in good shape, to be in top form, to be “full of beans”, to be full of "piss and vinegar"
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Expression française liée à la cuisine En faire tout un fromage

Why do the French say “make a whole cheese of something”

The French idiom “En faire tout un fromage” means to make a mountain out of a molehill, to create a storm in a teacup (I like this one!), to make a meal of something...
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Why do the French say "Best soups are made in old pots"

Why do the French Say “Best Soups are Made in Old Pots”

The French Idiom related to food “C'est dans les vieux pots qu'on fait les meilleures soupes” is used to say that experience and tested methods are the best.
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Expression française liée à la cuisine Haut comme trois pommes

Why do the French say “High as 3 Apples”

In French Haut comme trois pommes to say that someone is rather small. I tell you why and explain this French idiom related to food.

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expression française liée à la cuisine : Pourquoi dit-on raconter des salades

Why do The French say “to Tell Salads”

Raconter des salades, lit. "To tell salads" means to tell stories, a complex mixture of exaggerated anecdotes or inventions rather than just a harmless lie to fill a gap in a story. I tell you why the French use this idiom.
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expression française liée à la cuisine : Pourquoi dit-on avoir du pain sur la planche

Why Do The French Say “Have Bread on the Chopping Board!”

"Avoir du pain sur la planche" means to have a lot to do, a lot in our Plate, literally "to have a lot of bread on the chopping board". I tell you why the French use this idiom.
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Expression française liée à la cuisine voir la pêche

Why do the French say they “have the peach”

The French idiom “Avoir la pêche” (lit. to have the peach) is used to mean to be in good shape, to be in top form, to be “full of beans”, to be full of "piss and vinegar"
Read more
Expression française liée à la cuisine En faire tout un fromage

Why do the French say “make a whole cheese of something”

The French idiom “En faire tout un fromage” means to make a mountain out of a molehill, to create a storm in a teacup (I like this one!), to make a meal of something...
Read more
Why do the French say "Best soups are made in old pots"

Why do the French Say “Best Soups are Made in Old Pots”

The French Idiom related to food “C'est dans les vieux pots qu'on fait les meilleures soupes” is used to say that experience and tested methods are the best.
Read more
Expression française liée à la cuisine Haut comme trois pommes

Why do the French say “High as 3 Apples”

In French Haut comme trois pommes to say that someone is rather small. I tell you why and explain this French idiom related to food.

Read more
expression française liée à la cuisine : Pourquoi dit-on raconter des salades

Why do The French say “to Tell Salads”

Raconter des salades, lit. "To tell salads" means to tell stories, a complex mixture of exaggerated anecdotes or inventions rather than just a harmless lie to fill a gap in a story. I tell you why the French use this idiom.
Read more
expression française liée à la cuisine : Pourquoi dit-on avoir du pain sur la planche

Why Do The French Say “Have Bread on the Chopping Board!”

"Avoir du pain sur la planche" means to have a lot to do, a lot in our Plate, literally "to have a lot of bread on the chopping board". I tell you why the French use this idiom.
Read more