| French | English |
| c'est une idée géniale, il faut la mettre sous globe! | that's a brilliant idea, we must make a note of it and keep it safe! |
| de là à dire que c'est un criminel, il y a loin | there's a big difference between that and saying he's a criminal |
| elle a été reçue à son examen, mais il a fallu qu'elle y mette le prix | she pa ssed her exam, but she really had to work hard for it |
| il a dessiné ces jardins, il est facile de reconnaître sa marque | he designed these gardens, it's easy to recognize his style |
| il a dû mettre sa vie privée entre parenthèses | he had to put his private life to one side |
| il a fait les choses en grand | he really did things properly |
| il a fait ses bagages sans demander son reste | he left without further ado |
| il a fait ses premiers pas de comédien dans un film de Hitchcock | he made his debut as an actor in a Hitchcock film |
| il a fait une bêtise, point à la ligne! | he did something stupid, let's leave it at that! |
| il a fini par planter sa tente en Provence | he finally settled in Provence |
| il a fini par se rendre | he finally gave in |
| il attend que tout lui soit apporté sur un plateau | he expects everything to be handed to him on a silver plate (d'argent) |
| il entretient un certain flou artistique | he's being fairly vague about it |
| il est la cheville ouvrière du mouvement | he's the kingpin of the movement |
| il est la cheville ouvrière du mouvement | he's the mainspring of the movement |
| il est tout d'une pièce | he's very straightforward |
| il est tout d'une pièce | he's very blunt |
| il est un peu bas de plafond | he's a bit slow on the uptake |
| il fait beaucoup de bruit mais il n'agit pas | he makes a lot of noise but he does nothing |
| il frétille d'impatience | he's quivering with impatience |
| il guigne l'argent de son oncle depuis des années | he has had his eye on his uncle's money for years |
| il leur marcherait sur le ventre | he'd trample all over them |
| il leur passerait sur le ventre | he'd trample all over them |
| il n'a fait que traverser ma vie | he only passed through my life |
| il n'a pas desserré les dents | he never opened his mouth |
| il n'a pas desserré les dents | he didn't utter a word |
| il n'a pas desserré les lèvres | he never opened his mouth |
| il n'a pas desserré les lèvres | he didn't utter a word |
| il n'a personne à qui se raccrocher | he has nobody to turn to |
| il n'a rien dans le ventre | he's got no guts |
| il ne naîtra rien de bon d'une telle alliance | nothing good can come of such a union |
| il refuse de s'agenouiller devant le pouvoir | he refuses to bow to authority |
| il s'engraisse sur le dos de ses employés | he lines his pockets by underpaying his employees |
| il s'est perdu corps et biens | he's disappeared without trace |
| il s'est senti mal à l'aise pendant toute la réunion | he felt ill-at-ease during the entire meeting |
| il s'est vu mourir | he knew he was dying |
| il y a de quoi tomber à la renverse | it's staggering |
| il y a de quoi tomber à la renverse | it's amazing |
| il y a eu des grincements de dents | there was much gnashing of teeth |
| il y a une ombre au tableau | there's a fly in the ointment |
| il était tellement en colère que les yeux lui sortaient des orbites | he was so angry that his eyes were popping out (of their sockets) |
| ils aiment à se parer de l'auréole du sacrifice | they like to wear the crown of sacrifice |
| ils bouillonnent d'idées | they're full of ideas |
| ils laissent filtrer les informations goutte à goutte | they are letting the news filter out bit by bit |
| ils n'arrêtent pas de se tirer dans les pattes | they're always getting at each other |
| ils ont déjà exploité ce filon | they have already exploited that goldmine |
| ils ont envoyé la grosse artillerie lourde | they used drastic measures |
| ils ont envoyé la grosse l'artillerie lourde | they used drastic measures |
| ils peuvent se donner la main! | they're as bad as each other! |
| ils se contentent de gérer la crise | they're quite happy to sit out the crisis |
| ils se sont lancés à l'assaut du marché japonais | they set out to capture the Japanese market |
| ils sont tous à plat ventre devant elle | they all bow down to her |
| ils vivent en symbiose | they're inseparable |
| lui, il a tiré le bon numéro! | he's really picked a winner! |
| ne te frotte pas à lui quand il est en colère | steer clear of him when he's angry |
| ne vous battez pas, il y en a pour tout le monde | don't get excited, there's enough for everyone |
| pris à la gorge, ils ont dû emprunter | they had a gun to their heads, so they had to borrow money |
| quand il parle d'argent, il devient lyrique | he really gets carried away when he talks about money |
