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_WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR_


  JULES SANDEAU. LA ROCHE AUX MOUETTES (Extracts). [_Nutt’s Short
  French Readers, 6d._]

  THÉOPHILE GAUTIER. VOYAGE EN ITALIE. [_Cambridge University
  Press, 3s._]

  ÉMILE SOUVESTRE. LE PHILOSOPHE SOUS LES TOITS (Extracts).
  [_Blackie’s Little French Classics, 4d._]

  PIERRE CŒUR. L’ÂME DE BEETHOVEN. [_Siepmann’s French Series.
  Macmillan, 2s._]




                   FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS


    “_Omne epigramma sit instar apis; sit aculeus illi,
    Sint sua mella, sit et corporis exigui._”
                                                      MARTIAL.

[Thus Englished by Archbishop Trench:

    “_Three things must epigrams, like bees, have all;
    Its sting, its honey, and its body small._”]

[And thus by my friend, Mr. F. Storr:

    “_An epigram’s a bee: ’tis small, has wings
    Of wit, a heavy bag of humour, and it stings._”]

    “_Celebre dictum, scita quapiam novitate insigne._”
                                                     ERASMUS.

“_The genius, wit, and spirit of a nation are discovered in its
proverbs._”--BACON.

    “_The people’s voice the voice of God we call;
    And what are proverbs but the people’s voice?_”
                                                  JAMES HOWELL.

    “_What oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed._”
                                    POPE, _Essay on Criticism_.

“_The wit of one man, the wisdom of many._”--Lord JOHN RUSSELL
(_Quarterly Review_, Sept. 1850).




                   FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS

                   A COMPANION TO DESHUMBERT’S

                  “DICTIONARY OF DIFFICULTIES”

                               BY

                        DE V. PAYEN-PAYNE

            PRINCIPAL OF KENSINGTON COACHING COLLEGE
         ASSISTANT EXAMINER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

              _FOURTH REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION_

                        [Fifth Thousand]

                             LONDON
                   DAVID NUTT, 57-59 LONG ACRE
                              1905




             “_Tant ayme on chien qu’on le nourrist,
             Tant court chanson qu’elle est aprise,
             Tant garde on fruit qu’il se pourrist,
              Tant bat on place qu’elle est prise.
               Tant tarde on que faut entreprise,
                Tant se haste on que mal advient,
               Tant embrasse on que chet la prise,
               Tant crie l’on Noel qu’il vient._”
                             VILLON, _Ballade des Proverbes_.




PREFACE


In this edition I have endeavoured to keep down additions as much
as possible, so as not to overload the book; but I have not been
sparing in adding cross-references (especially in the Index) and
quotations from standard authors. These quotations seldom give
the first occasion on which a proverb has been used, as in most
cases it is impossible to find it.

I have placed an asterisk before all recognised proverbs; these
will serve as a first course for those students who do not wish
to read through the whole book at once. In a few cases I have
added explanations of English proverbs; during the eleven years
I have been using the book I have frequently found that pupils
were, for instance, as ignorant of “to bell the cat” as they were
of “attacher le grelot.”

I must add a warning to students who use the book when
translating into French. They must not use expressions marked
“familiar” or “popular” except when writing in a familiar or
low-class style. I have included these forms, because they are
often heard in conversation, but they are seldom met with in
serious French literature. A few blank pages have been added at
the end for additions. Accents have been placed on capitals to
aid the student; they are usually omitted in French printing.

In conclusion, I have to thank Mr. W. G. Lipscomb, M.A.,
Headmaster of Bolton Grammar School, Mr. E. Latham, and
especially M. Georges Jamin of the École Lavoisier, Paris, for
valuable suggestions; while M. Marius Deshumbert, and Professor
Walter Rippmann, in reading through the proof sheets, have made
many corrections and additions of the greatest value, for which I
owe them my sincere gratitude.

                                               DE V. PAYEN-PAYNE.




AUTHORITIES CONSULTED


BELCHER, H., and DUPUIS, A., “Manuel aux examens.” London, 1885.

BELCOUR, G., “English Proverbs.” London, 1888.

BOHN, H. G., “Handbook of Proverbs.” London, 1855.

CATS, JACOB, and FAIRLIE, R., “Moral Emblems.” London, 1860.

DUPLESSIS, M. GRATET, “La fleur des Proverbes français.” Paris,
1851.

FURETIÈRE, A., “Dictionnaire universel.” La Haye, 1727.

GÉNIN, F., “Récréations philologiques.” Paris, 1856.

HOWELL, JAMES, “Lexicon Tetraglotton.” London, 1660.

KARCHER, T., “Questionnaire français.” Seventh Edition. London,
1886.

LACURNE DE STE. PALAYE, “Dictionnaire historique de l’ancien
langage françois.” Paris, 1875-82.

LARCHEY, LORÉDAN, “Nos vieux Proverbes.” Paris, 1886.

LAROUSSE, P., “Grand Dictionnaire universel du xix^e siècle.”
1865-76.

LE ROUX DE LINCY, A. J., “Livre des Proverbes français.” 2^e
édition. Paris, 1859.

LITTRÉ, E., “Dictionnaire de la langue française.” Paris,
1863-72.

LOUBENS, D., “Proverbes de la langue française.” Paris, 1889.

MARTIN, ÉMAN, “Le Courrier de Vaugelas.” Paris, 1868.

QUITARD, P. M., “Dictionnaire étymologique des Proverbes.” Paris,
1842.

QUITARD, P. M., “Études sur les Proverbes français.” Paris, 1860.

RIGAUD, LUCIEN, “Argot moderne.” Paris, 1881.

TARVER, J. C., “Phraseological Dictionary.” London, 1854.

TRENCH, R. C., “Proverbs and their Lessons.” Sixth Edition.
London, 1869.

_Quarterly Review._ July 1868.

_Notes and Queries._ _Passim._




FRENCH IDIOMS AND PROVERBS


_Expressions to which an Asterisk is prefixed are Proverbs._


A.


A

  _Il ne sait ni A ni B_ = He does not know B from a bull’s foot;
  He cannot read; He is a perfect ignoramus.

  _Être marqué à l’A_ = To stand high in the estimation of others.

    [This expression is supposed to have originated in the custom of
    stamping French coin with different letters of the alphabet. The
    mark of the Paris Mint was an “A,” and its coins were supposed
    to be of a better quality than those stamped at provincial
    towns. But as this custom only began in 1418 by command of the
    Dauphin, son of Charles VI., and as the saying was known long
    previous, it is more probable that its origin is to be sought in
    the pre-eminence that A has always held in all Aryan languages,
    and that the French have borrowed it from the Romans. Compare
    MARTIAL, ii. 57, and our A i, at Lloyd’s.]


Abandon

  _Tout est à l’abandon_ = Everything is at sixes and sevens, in
  utter neglect, in confusion.

    [Also: _Tout va à la dérive._]


Abattre

  *_Petite pluie abat grand vent_ = A little rain lays much dust;
  Often quite a trifle calms a torrent of wrath.

    [Compare: “Hi motus animorum atque haec certamina tanta Pulveris
    exigui jactu compressa quiescunt.”
                                      VERGIL, _Georgics_, iv. 86-7.]

  _Abattre de l’ouvrage_ = To get through a great deal of work.


Aboi

  _Être aux abois_ = To be reduced to the last extremity; To be at
  bay.

    [Compare BOILEAU: “Dès que j’y veux rêver, ma veine est aux
    abois.”]


Abondance

  *_Abondance de biens ne nuit pas_ = Store is no sore; One cannot
  have too much of a good thing.

  _Parler avec abondance_ = To speak fluently.

  _Parler d’abondance_ = To speak extempore.


Abonder

  _Il abonde dans mon sens_ = He is entirely of the same opinion as
  I am; He has come round to my opinion.


Abord

  _Il a l’abord rude, mais il s’adoucit bientôt_ = He receives you
  roughly at first, but that soon passes off.

  _A_ (or, _De_) _prime abord_ = At first sight; At the first blush.


Aboutir

  _Les pourparlers n’ont pas abouti_ = The preliminary negotiations
  led to nothing.


Absent

  *