The 40 Funniest French Idioms to Break The Ice (+Free PDF File)

Do you know what can help you sound like a  French native speaker?

Learning French idioms.

Oh yes, idioms are one of the signs of fluency native speakers use a lot.

Besides giving you confidence, idioms are an efficient learning tool that can help you improve your vocabulary, practice French pronunciation, and make new friends.

So, while you are busy learning grammar rules, French pronouns, or practicing speaking skills with French tutors, take a break for a minute and find some time to read the following 40 funniest French idioms. Every next idiom is even funnier than the previous one, so we are sure that you won’t be having difficulties memorizing them, and, later, using them in proper contexts.

Therefore, we’re also prepared the list of the 40 funniest French idioms in a PDF file you can save to your device for free and take a peek whenever you want.

And now, let’s dive in. 

• Ah, la vache!

Translation: Oh, my cow

English equivalent: Oh my god!

There's nothing to worry about! No cow is lost or running away. This phrase expresses surprise and excitement.

• Appeler un chat un chat  

Literal Translation: to call a cat a cat

English equivalent: to call a spade a spade

• Apprendre à un vieux singe à faire des grimaces

Literal Translation: to teach an old monkey to make funny faces

English equivalent: To teach an old dog new tricks

• Avoir des casseroles au cul 

Literal Translation: To have pans attached to one's ass

English equivalent:  To be plagued by scandals

Please note that this idiom is often used to describe unscrupulous politicians in France.

• Avoir la chair de poule  

Literal Translation: to have chicken flesh

English equivalent: to have goosebumps

• Avoir un chat dans la gorge 

Literal Translation: to have a cat in your throat

English equivalent:  to have a frog in your throat

• Avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez 

Literal Translation: to have the mustard climbing up to the nose

English equivalent:  to lose your temper (AmEn), to lose your rag (BrEn)

• Avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre 

Literal Translation: to have eyes bigger than your stomach

English equivalent: to bite off more than you can chew

• Boire comme un trou 

Literal Translation: to drink like a hole

English equivalent: to drink like a fish

• Casser les pieds à quelqu’un 

Literal Translation: to break somebody’s feet

English equivalent: to drive somebody nuts

• Casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu’un 

Literal Translation: to break sugar on somebody’s back

English equivalent  to badmouth somebody behind their back

No matter if you break sugar or badmouth, this idiom is all about the back both in English and French. Perhaps back in old times some of them translated the idiom badly, so it remained until today’s days.

• Chercher midi à quartorze heures

Literal Translation: to look for midday at fourteen hours. 

English equivalent: to make things over-complicated.

• Coûter les yeux de la tête

Literal Translation: to cost the eyes of your head

English equivalent: to cost an arm and a leg

• Donner de la confiture aux cochons 

Literal Translation: to give marmalade to the pigs.

English equivalent:  to cast pearls before swine.

• Donner sa langue au chat

Literal Translation: to give one's tongue to the cat.

English equivalent:  to give up on guessing.

• En faire tout un fromage/plat 

Literal Translation: to make a whole cheese/dish with it.

English equivalent: to make a mountain out of a molehill.

• Enfoncer une porte ouverte

Literal Translation: to push an open door.

English equivalent:  to whip a dead horse.

• être au four et au moulin

Literal Translation: to be at the oven and the mill at the same time.

English equivalent:  to wear too many hats.

When you want to be in different places at the same time or do different things, in English you ‘wear hats,’ while in French, you want to be at the oven and the mill.’ Which one is funnier?

• Faire l’andouille

Literal Translation: to make the sausage.

English equivalent: to be silly.

This phrase refers to a smoked sausage made from pork. If you call somebody une andouille in French it means they are a dummy.

• Filer à l'anglaise

Literal Translation: to slip away the English way.

English equivalent: to sneak out.

• Il n'y a pas un chat

Literal Translation: there isn't a cat.

English equivalent: nobody's here.

• Joindre les deux bouts

Literal Translation: to join both ends.

English equivalent: to make ends meet.

• Les carottes sont cuites

Literal Translation: the carrots are cooked.

English equivalent: Your goose is cooked.

• Mener quelqu’un en bateau

Literal Translation: to take somebody on a boat ride.

English equivalent: to lead someone up to the garden path.

• Ne pas être dans son assiette

Literal Translation: not to be on your plate.

English equivalent: to feel under the weather.

• Ne pas avoir sa langue dans sa poche

Literal Translation: not to have one's tongue in one's pocket.

English equivalent: never be at a loss of words.

• Passer du coq à l’âne

Literal Translation: to switch from the rooster to the donkey.

English equivalent: to jump from pillar to post.

• Pipi de chat

Literal Translation: cat pee.

English equivalent: not important.

Here’s another ‘cat’ idiom. What’s that smell? It’s pipi de chat.

• Prendre ses jambes à son cou 

Literal Translation: to take your legs up to your neck.

English equivalent: to take your heels.

• Presser quelqu'un comme un citron 

Literal Translation: to squeeze somebody like a lemon.

English equivalent: to squeeze somebody dry.

• Quand les poules auront des dents  

Literal Translation: when chickens have teeth.

English equivalent: when pigs fly.

What do you think is more possible, to chickens have teeth pigs to fly? Well, that’s when something will happen, or precisely, it won’t happen.

• Quand le chat n'est pas là, les souris dansent

Literal Translation: When the cat isn't there, the mice dance.

English equivalent: When the cat's away, the mice will play.

• Raconter des salades

Literal Translation: to tell salads.

English equivalent: to spin a yarn.

• Revenir à ses moutons

Literal Translation: to go back to one’s sheep.

English equivalent: to get back on topic.

• Rouler quelqu’un dans la farine. 

Literal Translation: to make somebody roll up into flour.

English equivalent: to cook somebody's goose.

• Se jeter dans la gueule du loup

Literal Translation: to throw oneself in the wolf's mouth.

English equivalent: to throw oneself in the lion's den.

• Se mettre sur son 31

Literal Translation: to put yourself on your 31.

English equivalent:  to get dressed up to the nines.

When you put elegant and sophisticated clothes, in French you can use this idiom. This phrase dates back to old times, back in Prussia, when, every 31 of the month, soldiers had to clean their barracks dressed as beautiful as possible. 

• Se noyer dans un verre d'eau. 

Literal Translation: to drown in a glass of water.

English equivalent: to be as helpless as a babe.

• S’occuper de ses oignons. 

Literal Translation: to look after your onions.

English equivalent: to mind your own business.

• Tomber dans le panneau

Literal Translation: to fall into the sign.

English equivalent: to fall into the trap.

• Tomber dans les pommes

Translation: Fall in apples.

English equivalent: to lose consciousness.

• Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué

Literal Translation: to sell the bear's skin before it chats been killed.

English equivalent: to count your chickens before they hatch.

As you can see French isn’t only about romance and love idioms or language with delicious Mediterranean dishes and food-related idioms, but also hilarious phrases that will make you laugh out loud while reading and memorizing them.

When you are nervous about showing your speaking skills with native French speakers, using some of these funny French idioms is ideal for breaking the ice.

So feel free to download the PDF List of Funny French Idioms to take it with you everywhere, you go because you’ll never know when you’ll be needing them.

Download the List of Funny French Idioms in PDF For Free