Je le ferai quand mÊme = I shall do it just the same; I shall do it whatever it may cost.

Se tenir sur son quant-À-soi = To stand on one’s dignity.

Le quart d’heure de Rabelais = The moment of payment. (See Heure.)

Passer un mauvais quart d’heure = To have a bad time of it.

Avoir quinte et quatorze = To have the game in one’s own hand.

[This phrase refers to terms used in the game of piquet. Quinte is to have five cards of the same colour, which counts fifteen. Quatorze is to have four cards of the same value (i.e. four knaves, aces, etc.), and counts fourteen.]

Il se mettrait en quatre pour un ami = He would go through fire and water for a friend.

Faire le diable À quatre = To kick up a terrible noise; To exert oneself to the utmost.

[This expression originated in the time of the miracle plays, when four performers represented la grande diablerie, and less than four la petite diablerie.]

Entre quatre-z-yeux (fam.) = Between ourselves.

On le tenait À quatre = It needed four men to hold him down.

Il se tenait À quatre pour ne pas lui dire des injures = It was as much as he could do not to abuse him.

Travailler comme quatre = To work like a nigger.

*Ce que c’est que la vie! = What a strange thing life is! What poor mortals we are! (See Ce.)

Ses louanges ne laissent pas que de me faire plaisir = I cannot help feeling pleased at his kind words.

La piÈce n’est que quelconque = The piece (i.e. the play) is quite an ordinary one.

C’est une famille oÙ l’esprit est tombÉ en quenouille = In that family only the women are clever; In that family the brains are on the distaff side.

N’Épousez pas sa querelle = Do not take up his quarrel.

Ils veulent vider leur querelle = They want to fight it out.

Il serait bon À aller quÉrir la mort = He is very slow.

Mettre en question = To call in question; To doubt.

Mettre À la question = To put to the torture.

Qu’il n’en soit plus question = Do not bother me about it any more; Let bygones be bygones. (See Oublier.)

J’ai fait queue au thÉÂtre pendant une heure = I waited outside the theatre for an hour (before I could get in).

On fait queue au thÉÂtre = There is a crowd at the door of the theatre (waiting for admittance).

À la queue gÎt le venin = The sting is in the tail.

Aller À la queue leu-leu = To go in Indian file.

[Leu was the old French form of loup, so the phrase means to walk as wolves do, one after the other.]

Tenir la queue de la poÊle = To be the leading spirit in an affair.

Pour qui connaÎt = To any one who knows.

Ils s’ÉchappÈrent qui par la porte, qui par les fenÊtres = Some escaped through the door, others through the windows.

*Qui s’excuse s’accuse = A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

C’est À qui le fera = They all wish to do it; They vie with one another to do it. (See Mieux.)

Être rÉduit À quia = To be reduced to “because....”; To be nonplussed.

Me voilÀ quitte envers lui = I owe him nothing now.

Vous en Êtes quitte À bon marchÉ = You come off cheap.

J’en ai ÉtÉ quitte pour la peur = I escaped with a good fright.

J’irai, quitte À Être grondÉ = I shall go, even if I am scolded; I shall go, and chance the scolding.

J’ai de quoi payer = I have enough to pay.

Il n’y a pas lÀ de quoi pleurer = It is not worth crying about.

Il n’y a pas de quoi rire = It is no laughing matter.

Il n’y a pas de quoi (fam.) = Pray don’t mention it; There is no necessity to apologise. (See Avoir.)

De quoi vous mÊlez-vous? = What business is that of yours?

Un je ne sais quoi = A “something” (I know not what).

[Elle avait je ne sais quoi de charmant = She had a vague, indescribable charm.]

C’est un filou, quoi! (pop.) = In a word, he’s a scamp.