Part 11

*_À qui se lève matin Dieu prête la main_ = It is the early bird that catches the worm.

Lèvre

_J’avais le mot sur le bord des lèvres_ (or, _au bout de la langue_) = I had the word at the tip of my tongue.

Liard

_Il n’a pas un rouge liard_ = He has not a brass farthing. (See _Radis_.)

Lièvre

_C’est là que gît le lièvre_ = That is the main point; There’s the rub.

*_Il ne faut pas courir deux lièvres à la fois_ = You must not have too many irons in the fire.

_Il a une mémoire de lièvre_ = He has a memory like a sieve.

[Also: _Il est comme les lièvres, il perd la mémoire en courant._]

_Il veut prendre les lièvres au son du tambour_ = He makes a great noise about what should be kept secret; He divulged a plan which to succeed had to be kept secret.

Ligne

_C’est un homme hors ligne_ = He is a first-rate man. (See _Hors_.)

_Il est en première ligne_ = He is in the front rank.

Linotte

_Il a une tête de linotte_ = He is a hare-brained fellow.

Livre

_Traduire à livre ouvert_ = To translate at sight.

Loin

_Revenir de loin_ = 1. To come back from a distant place. 2. To recover from a very severe illness.

_De loin en loin_ = At long intervals.

Long

*_Tout s’use à la longue_ = Everything wears out in time.

[_Tout passe, tout casse, tout lasse._]

_Il se promenait de long en large_ = He was walking up and down, to and fro.

_Il en sait trop long_ = He knows too much.

_Il m’a raconté la chose tout au long_ = He told me every detail of the affair.

_Il était étendu tout de son long_ = He was lying at full length.

Longer

_Longer la côte_ = To hug the shore.

Longueur

_Ce procès traîne en longueur_ = That lawsuit is dragging on slowly.

Louer

*_Qui se loue s’emboue_ = Self-praise is no recommendation.

Loup

_Il marche à pas de loup_ = He walks stealthily.

_Il est connu comme le loup blanc_ = He is known to every one.

*_Quand on parle du loup, on en voit la queue_ (or, _il sort du bois_) = Speak of angels and you hear their wings; Talk of the devil, he is sure to appear.

*_Le loup mourra dans sa peau_ = A bad thing never dies; A bad man will die a bad man.

[Lupus pilum mutat non mentem. Erasmus (Adagia 989) gives the Greek origin of this saying, ὁ λύκος τὴν τρίχα οὐ τὴν γνώμην ἀλλάττει, but he quotes no author.]

_Tenir le loup par la queue_ = To have hold of the sow by the wrong ear.

_On fait toujours le loup plus gros qu’il n’est_ = A tale never loses in the telling.

*_Il faut hurler avec les loups_ = When we are at Rome we must do as Rome does; You must do as others do; He who kennels with wolves must howl.

[“Evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. xv. 33). Paul quoted this iambic line form Menander’s “Thais,” “φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρῆσθ᾽ ὁμιλίαι κακαί.”

The proverb about Rome is said to have originated with St. Ambrose, who, when he was asked by St. Augustine whether he should fast on Saturday or not when he was at Rome, although he was not accustomed to do so when at home, replied: “When I am at home I do not fast on Saturday; but when I am at Rome I do, and I think you should follow the custom of every city you visit, if you would avoid scandal.” From this reply originated the hexameter: Cum Romæ fueris Romano vive more = When you shall be at Rome, live after the Roman fashion.]

_Tenir le loup par les oreilles_ = To be in a critical situation; To have caught a Tartar.

[“Auribus lupum teneo.”--TERENCE, _Phormio_, iii. 2, 21.]

_Il fait un froid de loup_ = It is terribly cold.

*_Les loups ne se mangent pas entre eux_ = Dog does not eat dog; There is honour among thieves. (See _Corsaire_.)

_Renfermer le loup dans la bergerie_ = To set the fox to keep the geese.

_Ils se sont mis dans la gueule du loup_ = They rushed into the lion’s mouth.

_C’est un vieux loup de mer_ = He is an old sea dog.

Lundi

_Faire la Saint-Lundi_ } _Fêter Saint Lundi_ } = To do no work on Monday. _Faire le Lundi_ }

Lune

_Faire un trou à la lune_ = “To shoot the moon”; To flee from one’s creditors. (See _Cloche_.)

_Vouloir prendre la lune avec les dents_ = To attempt impossibilities.

[“_Prendre la lune aux dents serait moins difficile._” LA FONTAINE, _Le Roi Candaule_.]

M.

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.

Maille

_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_.)

Main

_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.]

Mais

_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 cœur_ = 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 sœur 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.” MONTAIGNE, _Essais_, ii. 17.]

_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!

Marchand

_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 Font le Mai gai et gracieux_ = March winds and April showers Make way for May flowers.

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, Il pleut quarante jours plus tard. S’il pleut le jour de St. Gervais, Il pleut quarante jours après_ = “St Swithin’s day, gif ye do rain For forty days will it remain.”

[Le jour de St. Médard = June 8. Le jour de St. Gervais = June 19. St. Swithin’s Day = July 15.]

Médecin

_Voilà trois médecins qui ne vous trompent pas: Gaîté, doux exercice et modeste repas_ = The best physicians are Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merriman.

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:--

“Vous qui vivez dans ces demeures, Êtes-vous bien? tenez-vous y, Et n’allez pas chercher midi À quatorze heures.”]

_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.

Mieux

*_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 sœur_ = 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, De juger des gens sur la mine._” LA FONTAINE, _Fables_, vi. 5.]

_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.

[“Καὶ κεραμεὺς κεραμεῖ κοτέει και τέκτονι τέκτων Καὶ πτωχὸς πτωχῷ φθονέει καὶ ἀοιδὸς ἀοιδῶ.” HESIOD, _Opera et dies_, 25.]

_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 Qui prétend contenter tout le monde et son père.” LA FONTAINE, _Fables_, iii. 1.]

Monnaie

_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.” SHAKESPEARE, _Macbeth_, i. 7.

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.

Morveux

*_Qui se sent morveux se mouche_ (pop.) = If the cap fits, wear it. (See _Galeux_.)

Mot

_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.

Mouche

_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._” LA FONTAINE, _Fables_, ii. 16.

“Quidquid delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi.” HOR., _Ep._, i. 2.

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.” HORACE, _Ars Poetica_.]

_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.