Le BLOG de Rex Salut, mes amis francophiles et bienvenue sur

Rex Moss – membre du Comité de l’Alliance Française et ancien Chef du
Département de Français à James Cook University.
Studied at the University of Grenoble and undertook literary research at the
Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris (1952-1953).
Was Senior Lecturer in French and Head of French Department first at the
University College of Townsville and then later James Cook University (1960 – 1970).
Le BLOG de Rex
Salut, mes amis francophiles et bienvenue sur mon Blog du mois d’août!
Quel est votre choix de fruits et de légumes aujourd’hui, messieurs-dames ?
(What fruits and vegetables are you choosing today ?).
In colloquial spoken French, many idiomatic expressions name fruits and vegetables to carry their message. Today is a
fun Blog in which you have to sort out which is which - not an easy task in many cases, without knowing the origin of
the expression. Wherever possible, I have given colloquial Australian and English equivalents – these may be of interest
to native French speakers who may not have heard them all before.
Here goes…
1 – I don’t have a brass razoo - I’m flat broke.
2 – A bigwig - a big nob.
3 – Someone smiling broadly - a grinner.
4 – My little darlings (children).
5 – She’s in top form - dynamic.
6 – Someone who doesn’t have much up top - isn’t very
bright.
7 – Something which tops off a situation already good the icing on the cake.
8 – He/she’s got tickets on himself/herself – he/she’s got
a swelled head.
9 – Someone who loves to spin yarns, true or false – who
tells “stories”.
10 – We don’t stand a chance (e.g. of winning) – it’s all
over now.
11 – It’s none of your business – mind your own business.
12 – A person who falls in love easily and often.
13 – Someone who is very stupid.
14 – I’ve been done, cleaned out.
15 – It’s not up to much – It’s worthless.
16 – Someone who is blushing profusely.
17 – A small child or an adult who is height challenged.
18 – He/she has passed out (i.e. fainted).
19 – We’re up the creek without a paddle – we’re
finished, done for.
20 – A very tall skinny woman, a beanpole.
21 – A film or play, which is a flop – a turkey.
22 – To earn a bit of extra money on the side.
23 – He gets on my nerves / my goat.
24 – This exercise has borne fruit?
A – C’est la cerise sur le gâteau.
B – Il/elle raconte souvent des salades.
C – Ce ne sont pas tes oignons.
D – Il a un petit pois dans la tête.
E – Une grande asperge.
F – C’est une grosse légume.
G – Il/elle est tombé(e) dans les pommes.
H – Je n’ai plus un radis.
I – Il est haut comme trois pommes.
J – Mes petits choux.
K – C’est un navet.
L – Il/elle est bête comme un chou.
M – Les carottes sont cuites.
N – Il/elle a le melon.
O – Mettre du beurre dans les épinards.
P – Il/elle a un cœur d’artichaut.
Q – Il me court sur le haricot.
R – Elle a la pêche.
S – Ça compte pour des prunes.
T – Il/elle a la banane.
U – On m’a pressé comme un citron.
V – Il/elle est rouge comme une tomate.
W – C’est la fin des haricots.
X – Cet exercice a porté ses fruits ?
Le Blog de Rex – Août 2016 Page 2
Expressions sur les fruits et légumes.
Réponses1: – H
13 – L
2–F
14 – U
3 –T
15 – S
4–J
16 – V
5–R
17 – I
6–D
18 – G
7–A
19 – W
8–N
20 – E
9 -B
21 – K
10 – M
22 – O
11 – C
23 – Q
12 - P
24 - X
(Source pour les expressions françaises : Le magazine Bien-Dire).
How did you go ? Can you think of other Australian / English equivalents I could have used ?
My next Blog will deal with superstitions which still exist in the French theatrical world of today.
A la prochaine fois !
Votre Blogueur fidèle.
Rex