Nage
Je suis tout en nage = I am in a thorough perspiration; I have not a dry thread on me.
  Navette Faire la navette = To go to and fro between two places several times. NÈfle Avoir quelque chose pour des nÈfles (fam.) = To buy something for a mere song. Nerf Vous me donnez sur les nerfs = You get on my nerves; You rile me (fam.). Net Mettez cela au net = Make a fair copy of that. Il a les mains nettes (fig.) = He is honest; His hands are clean. Refuser net = To refuse point-blank. Nez Il a un pied de nez (fam.) = He pulls a long face, looks foolish. [Also: Il fait un nez.] Il a fait un pied de nez (fam.) = He put his fingers to his nose; “He cut a snook.” Ce coup l’a fait saigner du nez = That blow made his nose bleed. Il a saignÉ du nez = (lit.) His nose bled; (fig.) His heart failed him. A vue de nez = By rule of thumb. Il veut toujours fourrer son nez partout (fam.) = He wants to have his finger in every pie. (See Fourrer.) On voulait lui tirer les vers du nez = They wished to pump him. Vous vous y casserez le nez = 1. You will fall on your face. 2. You will knock up against something. 3. You will fail in that. Porter le nez au vent = To stare about aimlessly. Il me regarda sous le nez = He stared me in the face. Il me l’a jetÉ au nez = He cast it in my teeth. Il a le nez fin = 1. He has a good nose. 2. He is far-sighted, sagacious. Qui coupe son nez dÉgarnit son visage = It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest; He who cuts off his nose spites his own face. [Also: S’arracher le nez pour faire dÉpit À son visage.] Il me ferma la porte au nez = He shut the door in my face. Il lui en pend autant au nez = He may expect as much (something unpleasant); He will fare no better. Nid On n’a plus trouvÉ que le nid = They found the birds flown. Nitouche Elle fait la sainte Nitouche = She plays the innocent; She looks as if butter would not melt in her mouth; She looks very demure. [Sainte Nitouche is derived from sainte n’y touche, shortened from une sainte qui n’y touche pas. See Toucher.] Noce Je n’ai jamais ÉtÉ À pareille noce (or, fÊte) = I never had such a time of it. Il a fait la noce toute la semaine = He has had a high old time of it all the week; He has been on the spree all the week. [Literally, to enjoy oneself as if one were a guest at a wedding, where there is plenty of merriment, food, and drink.] Je ne suis pas À la noce = I am not enjoying myself at all. NoËl *Tant crie l’on NoËl qu’il vient (Villon) = Long looked for comes at last; That is coming—like Christmas. Quand NoËl est vert, les PÂques seront blanches = When the winter is mild, the spring will be wintry. Voir tout en noir = To look on the black side of things; To have the blues. [Opposite to: voir tout en rose, or, voir tout couleur de rose.] Broyer du noir = To have the blues; To feel very sad. Nom Nom d’un petit bonhomme! (fam.) = By Jingo! VoilÀ un nom À coucher dehors (avec un billet de logement dans la poche) = That’s a name too ugly for words; That’s an outlandish name if you like. Nombre Tout fait nombre = Every little helps. Normand C’est rÉpondre en Normand = That is an evasive answer. Nourrice Elle dit qu’elle a vingt ans.—Et les mois de nourrice! (fam.) = She says she is twenty.—And the rest! Nouvelle GoÛtez-moi ce vin; vous m’en direz des nouvelles (fam.) = You just taste this wine, you don’t get wine like that every day; What do you think of that for wine, my boy? Nue Tomber des nues = To be astounded. Nuire *Ce qui nuit À l’un sert À l’autre = What is one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Nuit *La nuit porte conseil = Time will show a plan; Sleep upon it; Seek advice of your pillow. |
