Gaffe
Faire une gaffe = To put one’s foot in it; To make a stupid blunder.
  Gageure *La gageure est la preuve des sots = “Most men (till by losing rendered sager), [Byron, Beppo, 27.] Gagner *Qui Épargne gagne = A penny saved is a penny earned. Il gagne À Être connu = He improves upon acquaintance. Gai Il est gai comme un pinson = He is as merry as a grig, as a lark. Il est gai comme un bonnet de nuit (ironic.) = He is as dull as ditchwater. (See Bonnet.) GaietÉ De gaietÉ de coeur = Out of pure wantonness. Gaillard Être sur le gaillard d’avant = To serve before the mast; To be a common seaman. GalÈre Vogue la galÈre! = Happen what may! “Go it, ye cripples!” *“Que diable allait-il faire dans cette galÈre?” = Whatever induced him to get into that fix? Whatever business had he there? [MoliÈre, Fourberies de Scapin, ii. II, imitated from a scene of Le PÉdant jouÉ by Cyrano de Bergerac, as is noted by M. Edmond Rostand in his play, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” v. 6: Rag.Hier on jouait Scapin In MoliÈre, Scapin, the amusing but rascally servant of farce, in order to obtain more money out of GÉronte, the father of his young master, LÉandre, pretends that the latter has been taken prisoner on board a Turkish galley and that the captain demands 500 crowns as ransom. GÉronte in the dilemma of losing either his money or his son, at last parts with his treasured gold, but not without repeating several times in heartfelt sorrow, “Que diable allait-il faire dans cette galÈre?”] *Il ne faut qu’une brebis galeuse pour infecter tout un troupeau = One scabby sheep will taint a whole flock. *Qui se sent galeux, se gratte (fam.) = If the cap fits, wear it. (See Morveux.) Galon Quand on prend du galon on n’en saurait trop prendre = As well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb; One cannot make too much of a favourable opportunity. [This is a parody of a line in Quinault’s Roland, ii. 5: “Quand on prend de l’amour, on n’en saurait trop prendre.”] Gant Il s’en donne les gants = He takes the credit of it. [It was the custom to give a pair of gloves to the messenger who first brought a piece of good news.] Cela me va comme un gant = That fits me to a T; That suits me down to the ground. GarÇon Vous voilÀ joli garÇon! = A pretty fellow you are! Garde Mon chien est de bonne garde = Mine is a good watch-dog. Ces poires sont de bonne garde = These pears will keep well. Il n’a garde de venir = He will take care to keep away; There is no chance of his coming. Garder Il vous en garde une bonne (pop.) = He is keeping a rod in pickle for you. Gardez-vous en bien! = Mind you do not do it! Gaspiller Ce garÇon gaspille son temps = That boy fools his time away. Geler Geler À pierre fendre = To freeze very hard. GÉmir Faire gÉmir la presse (ironic.) = To print one’s writings. GÊne Il est sans gÊne = He is free and easy (casual, off-hand); He makes himself too much at home. *OÙ il y a de la gÊne il n’y a pas de plaisir (ironic.) = There is nothing like making one’s self at home everywhere. Il a connu la gÊne = He knows what want is. GÊner Est-ce que je vous gÊne? = Am I in your way? Ne vous gÊnez pas! = Do not stand upon ceremony! Make yourself at home! Don’t mind me! Il ne se gÊne guÈre = Doesn’t he make himself at home! Well, he is a cool customer! Il est plus gÊnant que gÊnÉ = His free and easy manners are unpleasant to others, but he does not mind that. Gens *A gens de village, trompette de bois = Rough tools for rough work. GÉsir *C’est lÀ que gÎt le liÈvre = That is the main point; There’s the rub. Gibier C’est un gibier de potence = He is a gallows-bird. Gloire “J’aime mieux, n’en dÉplaise À la gloire, Contrast: “One crowded hour of glorious life Gond Cela me fait sortir des gonds = That exasperates (unhinges) me. Gorge Cette fumÉe me prend À la gorge = That smoke makes me cough, chokes me. Il cria À pleine gorge = He cried out as loud as he could. Il fera des gorges chaudes du malheur de sa tante = He will chuckle over (or, make fun of) his aunt’s misfortune. [“PrÉtend qu’elle en fera gorge chaude et curÉe.” Rendre gorge = To have to pay back money unjustly acquired; To disgorge one’s ill-gotten gains. Gourme Ce jeune homme jette sa gourme = That young man is sowing his wild oats. GoÛt *Des goÛts et des couleurs il ne faut (pas) discuter = There is no disputing about tastes. *À chacun son goÛt = Tastes differ. [Colloquially the À is omitted and the phrase becomes chacun son goÛt. The Dictionnaire de l’AcadÉmie gives: Chacun a son goÛt.] Je n’y vois goutte = I cannot see at all. *Goutte À goutte on emplit la cuve = Many a little makes a mickle. *Ils se ressemblent comme deux gouttes d’eau = They are as like as two peas. C’est une goutte d’eau dans la mer = It is a drop in the ocean. Boire la goutte (fam.) = To have a drop; To take a nip. Payer la goutte (fam.) = To stand something to drink. GrÂce Faites-moi grÂce de vos observations, je vous en prie = Pray spare me your remarks. Grain Veillez au grain = Keep a sharp look-out. Avoir un grain de folie = To be a little cracked. Graine Ces plantes sont montÉes en graine = Those plants have run to seed. C’est de la graine de niais = That is something to deceive fools with. Grand *Les grands sont les plus exposÉs aux coups du sort = High winds blow on high hills. Faire quelque chose en grand = To do something on a large scale. Grandeur Un buste de grandeur naturelle = A life-size bust. GrÉ *Bon grÉ, mal grÉ = Whether you wish or not; Nolens volens; Willy-nilly. Cette maison a ÉtÉ vendue de grÉ À grÉ = That house was sold by private contract. Il le fera de grÉ ou de force = He will have to do it whether he likes it or not. Il venait moitiÉ de grÉ, moitiÉ de force = He came somewhat reluctantly. De son plein grÉ = Of his own accord. De plein grÉ = Voluntarily. Nous vous en saurons bon grÉ = We shall be obliged to you for it. Je me sais bon grÉ de ne l’avoir pas fait = I am thankful I did not do it. *Attacher le grelot = To bell the cat. [This phrase arises from the fable (La Fontaine, ii. 2) of the rats who held a council as to how they might best defend themselves from the cat. They resolved to hang a bell round his neck, so that they might hear him coming and run away. But the difficulty was to find a volunteer “to bell the cat.” In Scottish history Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1449-1514), was called Bell-the-Cat. James III. used to make favourites of architects and masons. The Scotch nobles held a council in the Church of Lauder for the purpose of putting down these upstarts. Lord Gray asked who would bell the cat. “That will I,” said Douglas, and fearlessly he put the minions to death in the King’s presence. Compare Scott, Marmion, v. 14. The Greek equivalent, ???e?? ????ta (= to shave the lion) occurs in Plato, Republic, 341 C. The refrain of Eustace Deschamps’ Ballade 58 is: “Qui pendra la sonnette au chat?”] Grenier Il va de la cave au grenier = 1. He rambles in his talk. 2. He writes very unevenly (up and down). Grippe Il m’a pris en grippe = He has taken a dislike to me. Gris Il en a vu de grises = He had an unpleasant time of it. Il lui en a fait voir de grises = He plagued him terribly. Grive *Faute de grives on mange des merles = Half a loaf is better than no bread. (See Aimer.) Gros Ils se sont dit de gros mots = They came to high words; They insulted (slanged) one another. La servante fait le gros de la besogne (or, la grosse besogne) = The servant does the heavy work. Il n’a qu’un gros bon sens = He has only plain common-sense. Vous avez touchÉ la grosse corde = You have come to the main point. Vendre en gros et en dÉtail = To sell wholesale and retail. Grue Il m’a fait faire le pied de grue pendant deux heures = He made me wait two hours for him; I was dancing attendance on him for two hours. [“Faites vous sus un pied toute la nuict la grue?” Guerre *À la guerre comme À la guerre = One must take things as they come; We must take the rough with the smooth. Je l’ai fait de guerre lasse = Weary of resistance I did it for the sake of peace and quiet. *Qui terre a, guerre a = Much coin, much care; Much land, many lawsuits. [Voltaire’s variant was: “Qui plume a, guerre a.”] Ça, c’est de bonne guerre = He has only used fair means to defend himself (or, attack you); He has acted within his rights, you cannot complain. Guide Mener la vie À grandes guides = (lit.) To drive life four in hand; (fig.) To live a very fast life. Guillot *Qui croit guiller Guillot, Guillot le guille = “He that seeks others to beguile [“For often he that will begyle “For ’tis the sport to have the enginer Guise Il fait (or, agit) toujours À sa guise = He always goes his own way; He always acts according to his own sweet will. |
