MÂcher
Je ne lui ai pas mÂchÉ la chose = I did not mince matters with him.
Je lui ai donnÉ sa besogne toute mÂchÉe = I gave him his work all ready cut out; I made his work as easy as possible for him.
  Madame Elle fait la Madame = She gives herself airs (of little girls). Mai Mi-mai, queue d’hiver = The middle of May has usually three cold days (called Les saints de glace, May 11, 12, and 13). Maigre Faire maigre = To abstain from meat. Faire maigre chÈre = To have poor fare. Maigre comme un clou = As thin as a lath. Il n’a ni sou ni maille = He has not got a rap, a brass farthing. Avoir maille À partir avec quelqu’un = To have a bone to pick (a crow to pluck) with some one. [Maille (= mite) was the smallest coin in France, and therefore could not be divided. Hence the saying means to have a quarrel with some one. Notice the old meaning of partir in this idiom = to divide (Lat. partiri).] Maille À maille se fait l’haubergeon = Many a little makes a mickle. (See Goutte and Petit.) Donnez-moi une poignÉe de main = Shake hands with me. Donnez-moi un coup de main = Give me a helping hand. Vous n’y allez pas de main morte = You hit with a vengeance; You don’t do things by halves. Avoir un poil dans la main = To be very lazy (so that hair grows on the palm of the hand). Avoir la main heureuse = To be lucky at cards (or, at other things). Avoir la main rompue À quelque chose = To be well versed at something. Je le connais de longue main = I have known him for a long time. Il disparut en un tour de main = He disappeared in an instant, in a twinkling. Il a une chambre grande comme la main = He has a room not big enough to swing a cat in. En venir aux mains = To come to blows. Bas les mains = Hands off. Les deux armÉes en sont aux mains = The two armies are in close combat, have come to close quarters. Je me perds la main = I am getting rusty. Je tirais au pistolet pour me faire la main = I practised pistol-shooting to get my hand in. Il y a mis la derniÈre main = He put the finishing touch to it. Il a fait cela haut la main = He did it with the greatest ease. Mettre la main À la pÂte = To put one’s shoulder to the wheel; To set to (a special piece of) work oneself. Les voleurs firent main basse sur tous mes effets = The thieves laid hands on all my things. Pour cela je vous baise les mains = As for that I will not do it; “No, thank you!” J’en mettrais la main au feu = I would swear to it; I would stake my life on it; I would take my dying oath about it. [A reference to trial by ordeal.] Je n’en peux mais! = I cannot help it! [Mais is here an adverb, and shows its derivation from the Latin magis. The phrase literally means: “I can do no more.”] Maison Faire maison neuve (or, nette) = To change all one’s servants. Il fait des demandes par dessus les maisons = He makes most unreasonable demands. MaÎtre *Tel maÎtre, tel valet = Like master, like man. [Or: Tel couteau, tel fourreau. German: Wie der Herr, so der Knecht.] C’est une maÎtresse femme = She is a superior woman. [One who manages her business or subordinates capably, makes her servants obey her and do their work well, and is respected by them.] Mal *À qui mal veut, mal arrive = Harm watch, harm catch; Curses, like chickens, come home to roost. [This proverb is said to be of Turkish origin. The Spanish equivalent is: “Who sows thorns, let him not walk barefoot.” Comp. Psalms cix. 17.] J’ai mal au coeur = I feel sick. Vous prenez tout en mal = You put a wrong construction on everything. Elle s’est trouvÉe mal = She fainted. Elle est au plus mal = She is past recovery. Sa soeur aÎnÉe n’est pas mal = Her elder sister is not bad-looking. *Aux grands maux les grands remÈdes = Desperate diseases require desperate remedies. Malheur *À quelque chose malheur est bon = It is an ill wind that blows no one any good. [“À quelque chose sert le malheur.” Pour surcroÎt (or, comble) de malheur il tomba malade = To crown his misfortunes he fell ill. *Un malheur ne vient jamais seul = Misfortunes never come singly; It never rains but it pours. [Ital. Benedetto È quel male, che vien solo = Blessed is that misfortune which comes alone.] Il n’est qu’heur et malheur = That’s the way of the world. Manant C’est un manant = He is a coarse, ill-educated boor. [From manens = one remaining fixed to the soil, a villein, serf.] Manche (m.) Il branle dans le manche (or, au manche) = He is no longer firmly established in his post; He is irresolute. *Jeter le manche aprÈs la cognÉe = To throw the rope after the bucket; To give up in despair. Manche (f.) Je ne me ferai pas tirer par la manche = I shall not require much pressing. C’est une autre paire de manches = That is quite another thing; That is a horse of another colour, another pair of shoes. J’ai gagnÉ la premiÈre manche = I won the first game (out of two or more). Je l’ai dans ma manche = I have him at my disposal. Manger Il mange comme quatre = He eats like an ogre. Il a mangÉ son pain blanc le premier = He had the happiest part of his life first. (See Pain.) Manger son blÉ en herbe = To anticipate one’s revenue. Il a mangÉ de la vache enragÉe = He has suffered many privations. Il est trÈs inquiet, il en perd le boire et le manger = He is very anxious, he has lost his appetite. ManiÈre Je l’ai rossÉ de la belle maniÈre (fam.) = I gave him a sound thrashing. Manquer Vous me manquez = I miss you. Je vous manque = You miss me. Il a manquÉ d’Être pris = He was nearly caught. C’est un avocat manquÉ = He is a would-be barrister; He is a failure as a barrister. C’est un garÇon manquÉ = She is a tomboy. Ce serait manquer d’usage = That would be a breach of good manners. Il ne manquait plus que cela! = That crowns all! That is the last straw! C’est un marchand de soupe = He is a regular Squeers. [This is said of a private schoolmaster who, far from regarding his profession as an honourable one, follows it solely with a view to profit, by having few and inferior assistants and by feeding his pupils cheaply and badly (thus making a profit on the soup). He looks upon teaching as the least important part of his work. Of course, this race of men is now entirely extinct.] MarchÉ Par dessus le marchÉ = Into the bargain; Over and above. Il m’a mis le marchÉ À la main = He told me I could take it or leave it; He made me decide one way or the other. Est-ce marchÉ fait? = Is it a bargain? Vous en Êtes quitte À bon marchÉ = You came off cheaply. Vous aurez bon marchÉ de lui = You will easily get the better of him. Je fais bon marchÉ de cela = I hold that very cheap. On n’a jamais bon marchÉ d’une mauvaise marchandise = A bad thing is dear at any price; The best is the cheapest in the end. MarÉe *Ce qui vient de flot s’en retourne de marÉe = Fortune is as quick in going as in coming. (See FlÛte.) MariÉe Il se plaint que la mariÉe est trop belle = He complains that he has got too good a bargain. Marmite Faire bouillir la marmite = To keep the pot boiling. Marotte Chacun a sa marotte = Every one has his hobby. [Marotte is a kind of sceptre or rattle with a head on the end, furnished with bells, which jesters carry.] Mars *Mars venteux et Avril pluvieux Marteau *Mieux vaut Être marteau qu’enclume = Better be striker than struck. Être entre l’enclume et le marteau = To be in a dilemma; To be between the devil and the deep sea. Graisser le marteau = To tip the porter. [There is the same idea in “Palm oil.”] Martel Il s’est mis martel en tÊte = He made himself very uneasy. Massacrer Il est d’une humeur massacrante = He is as cross as two sticks. MatiÈre Il est bien enfoncÉ dans la matiÈre = He is very coarse, very prosaic. La table des matiÈres = The table of contents (of a book). Matin Il partira un de ces quatre matins = He will start one of these fine days. Maure Traiter quelqu’un de Turc À Maure = To treat a person brutally. [As the Turks treated the Moors when they conquered the north of Africa. See MoliÈre, PrÉcieuses Ridicules, 10.] *À laver la tÊte d’un Maure (or, d’un Âne, or, d’un nÈgre) on y perd sa lessive = To endeavour to teach a fool is a waste of time. MÈche Il a ÉventÉ (or, vendu) la mÈche = He has let the cat out of the bag; He has blown the gaff. Il n’y a pas mÈche (pop.) = “It’s no go”; There is no doing it. MÉdaille C’est le revers de la mÉdaille = That is the dark side of the picture. MÉdard S’il pleut le jour de St. MÉdard, [Le jour de St. MÉdard = June 8. MÉdecin VoilÀ trois mÉdecins qui ne vous trompent pas: MÉfiance *La mÉfiance est mÈre de la sÛretÉ = Safe bind, safe find. [La Fontaine, Fables, iii. 18.] MÊme Il buvait À mÊme la bouteille = He was drinking out of the bottle itself. [This is an inversion for À la bouteille mÊme. Boire À mÊme is not usually used of cups or glasses, but of bottles, jugs, streams, etc. For it implies that the containing vessel itself is being used to drink out of, and not any smaller vessel. Thus boire À mÊme le verre would suggest that a spoon or smaller receptacle was not used.] Il est À mÊme de vous comprendre = He is able to understand you. Cela revient au mÊme = That comes to the same thing. C’est cela mÊme = That is the very thing. Faites de mÊme = Do the same. MÉnage Ils font bon mÉnage = They live happily together. Elle fait le mÉnage = She is doing her housework. MÉnager *Qui veut voyager loin mÉnage sa monture = Who wishes to go far spares his horse; He who wishes to live long avoids excess. [Racine, Plaideurs, i. 1.] Mentir *A beau mentir gui vient de loin = A traveller may lie with impunity; Travellers tell fine tales. Quasi et presque empÊchent les gens de mentir = Almost and very nigh save many a lie. MÉprendre QuÉbec, c’est Saint-Malo À s’y mÉprendre (Max O’Rell) = You could easily mistake Quebec for St. Malo. Mer *Ce n’est pas la mer À boire = It is not an impossibility; It is not so very difficult after all. *Porter de l’eau À la mer = To carry coals to Newcastle. MÉrite Remplir son mÉrite = To act up to one’s reputation. Merle *On ne prend pas les vieux merles À la pipÉe = Old birds are not to be caught with chaff. Merveille Il se porte À merveille = He is in splendid health. Messe *PrÈs du moÛtier, À messe le dernier = The nearer the church, the farther from God. MÉtier Il nous a servi un plat de son mÉtier (or, de sa faÇon) = He played us one of his tricks. *“À chacun son mÉtier et les vaches seront bien gardÉes” (Florian, Fables, i. 12) = Let the cobbler stick to his last. [“Ne sutor ultra crepidam” (judicet).] Mettre Mettez cent francs = Make it £4. Il se mettrait en quatre pour ses amis = He would do anything for his friends. Il se met bien = He dresses well. On veut nous mettre dedans (fam.) = They want to entrap us, to take us in. Midi Chercher midi À quatorze heures = To make (or, seek) difficulties where there are none; To look for grapes on thorns. [This expression has its origin in the old custom, still in use in some parts of Italy, of reckoning the hours of the day consecutively from 1 to 24, beginning at sunset. Hence, noon may vary from the 16th to the 20th hour, but is never the 14th. Voltaire’s epigram for a sun-dial is very well known, but may bear repetition:— Chacun connaÎt midi À sa porte = Each one knows his own business best. Mien J’y ai mis du mien, mettez-y du vÔtre = I have given way a bit, meet me half-way; I have done my share at it, now it’s your turn. *Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien = Leave well alone. Ils criaient À qui mieux mieux = Each was trying to shout louder than the other; Each tried to drown the others’ voices. Je ne demande pas mieux = Nothing would give me greater pleasure. Elle est mieux que sa soeur = She is prettier than her sister. Faute de mieux = For want of something better. Tant mieux = So much the better. Il est au mieux avec son mÉdecin = He is on the best terms with his doctor. On ne peut mieux = As well as possible; It could not be better. Vous arrivez on ne peut mieux = You could not have come at a more opportune moment. Milieu Le juste milieu = The golden mean. Au beau milieu = In the very midst. Vertu gÎt au milieu = Do not rush into extremes. [In medio tutissimus ibis = Allez par le milieu et vous ne tomberez pas. Compare the English: When slovenly girls get tidy, they polish the bottoms of saucepans.] Mine Faire bonne mine À mauvais jeu = To put a good face on the matter; To make the best of a bad job. If fait mine de ne pas comprendre = He pretends not to understand. Il nous a fait mauvaise (or, grise) mine = He looked black (sour) at us; He did not receive us well. Cet homme a trÈs mauvaise mine = 1. That man looks a regular ruffian. 2. That man looks very ill. Il ne paye pas de mine = His appearance is against him. Ne jugez pas sur la mine = Do not judge by appearances. [“Garde-toi, tant que tu vivras, Elle fait la mine = She is sulking. Mode Elle est ma tante À la mode de Bretagne = She is my father’s (or, mother’s) first cousin; She is my first cousin once removed. Elle est ma niÈce À la mode de Bretagne = She is the daughter of my first cousin. [These phrases are used of any very distant relationship.] Moindre C’est lÀ son moindre dÉfaut = That is not a great weakness of hers (or, his); That is the last thing you can reproach her (or, him) with. [La Fontaine, Fables, i. 1.] Moineau Deux moineaux sur mÊme Épi ne sont pas longtemps amis = Two of a trade seldom agree. [“?a? ?e?ae?? ?e?ae? ??t?e? ?a? t??t??? t??t?? Il tire sa poudre aux moineaux = He wastes his trouble for nothing. Mois Tous les 36 du mois = Once in a blue moon. Monde C’est vieux comme le monde = It is as old as the hills. Vous dites des choses de l’autre monde = You say most out-of-the-way things. Il y a un monde fou = There is a terrible crowd. (See Fou.) Vous moquez-vous du monde de parler ainsi? = Are you making fun of people (are you serious) in speaking thus? Do you take people for a pack of fools? Si vous obtenez cinq francs, c’est le bout du monde = If you get five francs, it is the utmost; You will get five francs at the very outside. Si elle a trente ans c’est tout le bout du monde = She may be thirty at the very outside. On ne peut contenter tout le monde et son pÈre = One cannot satisfy everybody, all the world and his wife. [“Parbleu, dit le meunier, est bien fou du cerveau Il lui a rendu la monnaie de sa piÈce = He paid him back in his own coin. Mont Par monts et par vaux = Up hill and down dale. MontÉe À grande montÉe grande descente = The higher the rise, the greater the fall; He who climbs too high is near a fall. [“Vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself.” Also: La Roche TarpÉienne est prÈs du Capitole.] Montrer Montrer le soleil avec un flambeau = To paint the lily; To hold a farthing rushlight to the sun. Mordre Se mordre les doigts = To repent what one has done. Se mordre la langue = To repent what one has said. Mort Il est mort de sa belle mort = He died a natural death. Il est À l’article de la mort = He is at the point of death, at death’s door. Quand on compte sur les souliers d’un mort on risque de marcher pieds nus = It’s an ill thing to wait for dead men’s shoes; He pulls with a long rope that waits for another’s death. [Also: Qui s’attend À l’Écuelle d’autrui risque fort de mal dÎner.] Avoir la mort dans l’Âme = To be grieved to death; To be overwhelmed with grief. *Qui se sent morveux se mouche (pop.) = If the cap fits, wear it. (See Galeux.) Ils en sont venus aux gros mots = They came to high words. *Qui ne dit mot consent = Silence gives consent. Il a toujours le mot pour rire = He is ever ready with a joke; He is full of fun. Il a 40,000 francs de rente au bas mot = He has £1600 a year at the very least. *À bon entendeur demi-mot suffit (or, salut) = A word to the wise is enough; Verbum sap. Il entend À demi-mot = He can take a hint. Ils se sont donnÉ le mot = They have passed the word round; They have agreed before-hand what to say. Tranchons le mot = In plain English; Not to mince matters; To put it plainly. C’est mon dernier mot = That is the last concession I can make; I will not take less. Il sait le fin mot de tout cela = He understands the upshot of all this. Ne soufflez pas mot! = Do not breathe a word! En deux mots = To cut a long story short. Des mots longs d’une toise = Words as long as your arm. [Racine, Plaideurs, i. 1.] Je ne mÂche pas mes mots = I don’t mince matters; I call a spade a spade. Les grosses mouches passent À travers la toile de la justice, mais les petites y sont prises = One man may steal a horse, while another dare not look over the hedge; Justice will whip a beggar, but bow to a lord; One does the scath, another has the harm; The crow gets pardoned, and the dove has the blame. [“OÙ la guÊpe a passÉ, le moucheron demeure.” “Quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi.” Italian: Un fa il peccato, l’altro la penitenza.] *Vous faites d’une mouche un ÉlÉphant = You make a mountain out of a molehill. [“Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.” Quelle mouche vous pique? = What irritates you? What whim have you got into your head? Il a pris la mouche = He is in a huff; He got offended. *On prend plus de mouches avec du miel qu’avec du vinaigre = More is done by kindness than by harshness. C’est une fine mouche = He is a sly dog, a deep one. C’est la mouche du coche = He is a regular busybody; The worst wheel makes the most noise. (See Coche and Bruit.) Faire mouche = To hit the bull’s eye. Moudre Il viendra moudre À notre moulin = He will be in want of us some day. Moulin C’est un vrai moulin À paroles = She is a regular chatterbox; He is a regular windbag. Moutarde Il m’a fait monter la moutarde au nez = He irritated me; He made me lose my temper. C’est de la moutarde aprÈs dÎner = It comes too late to be of any use; It is a day after the fair. [“Depugnato proelio venire.”—Plautus, Menaechmi, v. 6, 30. “?at?p?? t?? ???t?? ??e??” = You have come after the feast.—Plato, Gorgias.] Moutardier Il se croit le premier moutardier du pape = He thinks no small beer of himself. *Revenons À nos moutons = But to return to our subject. [From an old farce of the fifteenth century, Maistre Pierre Pathelin, verse 1191, attributed without foundation to Pierre Blanchet. M. F. GÉnin in his edition (1854) gives 1460 as the date, and Antoine de la Sale as the author. It was adapted in 1706 by Brueys and Palaprat, under the title of L’Avocat Patelin. See also RÉgnier, Sat., ii.] Moyen Il n’y a pas moyen = It cannot be done. Il fait valoir ses moyens = 1. He makes the best of his talents. 2. He boasts of his talents. Cet enfant a peu de moyens = That child is not clever. Mur Je l’ai mis au pied du mur = I drove him into a corner; I made him decide one way or the other. Muraille *Muraille blanche, papier de fou = Fools write their names on walls. [Late Latin: Stultorum calami, carbones moenia chartae.] Musique Il est rÉglÉ comme un papier de musique = He is as regular as clockwork. |
