IDIOMS, PROVERBS, PECULIAR EXPRESSIONS, ETC

A (a la distance de), within ; ex: à trois pouces de ma figure, within three inches of my face.

A, à la, au, aux (qui a, qui porte), with ; ex: une table à tiroirs, @ table with drawers ; Yhomme aux lunettes vertes, the man with the green spectacles.

A, by; ex: brin a brin, bit by bit ; deux a deux, two by two; sou à sou, penny by penny.

A la pluie, au beau; ex: le temps est à la pluie, it threatens to rain ; le temps est au beau, the weather promises to be fine.

A la guerre, à la paix; ex: les nouvelles sont a la paix, à la guerre, the news is for peace, for war.

A anglaise; à la française, in the English fashion ; in the French fashion.

ABANDONNER, 8’, au désespoir, to give one’s self up to despair.

— son cheval, to set one’s horse at full speed.

ABATTU, le visage—, with a déjected countenance.

Asimer, s— dans l'étude, les plaisirs, to be immersed in study, &e.

Agois, aux— (en parlant d’un cerf,

&e.), at bay.

—, aux—, at the last extremity.

ABONNER, 8’ — à, to subscribe to.

Asorp, de difficile—, hard of access.

—, dès ’—, ex: je lui ai dit cela—, that was the very first word I said to him.

—, V—, at first ; in the first place.

—, d— (immédiatement), immediately ; directly.

—, d'— que, as soon as.

me op at at first sight.

ABORDABLE ; ex: il n’est pas—, there is no coming near him.

ABORDER, un sujet (en parler, en écrire), to touch upon a subject.

dd en pointe, to be sharp point-

ed.

—,n’— à rien, to come to nothing.

—; ex: à quoi aboutit cela? what is the drift of that ?

ABOYER à la lune, to show one’s teeth where one cannot bite.

ABREUVER quelqu'un de chagrin, to be the cause of much sorrow to one.

Ari, à ’— de, secure from; sheltered from.

—, à l—, under shelter.

AccaBLé de dettes, d’affaires, c&c., over head and ears in debt, in business, dc.

Accès de folie, de goutte, a fit of madness, of the gout.

Accorp, d’— (en parlant des instruments de musique), in tune.

—, d'—, granted.

—, dun— unanime, unanimously.

DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS, PROVERBS

Accorps, les— d'un mariage, the marriage articles,

ACCROCHER, s— à un grand, to court the patronage of a great man.

AccusEr son jeu, to call one’s game.

— les formes (en peinture), to throw out the forms.

— réception d’une lettre, to acknowledge the receipt of a letter.

ACHOPPEMENT, pierre d’—, u stumbling-block.

Acquir, par manière d’—, for form’s sake. :

Acquirter, 8— bien de sa charge, to do the duties of ones place well.

—,s’— de son devoir, to do one’s duty.

Apteu; ex: si vous touchez à cette table, adieu mes vases, if you touch that table my jars are done Sor.

ADVIENNE qui voudra, let what will happen.

AFFAIRE; ex: voila votre —, j'ai votre —, that will just suit you ; I have what will just suit you.

Arraires, homme d’—, an agent.

AFFECTER une rente en paiement |

d’une dette, to assign an income for the payment of a debt.

Arrut, à l—, upon the watch ; lying in wait.

AGACER, les dents, to set the teeth on edge.

— quelqu'un (attirer son attention); ex : toutes les fois qu’elle me voit, elle m/agace, whenever she sces me, she endeavors to attract my notice.

Aces, entre deux—, middle-aged.

Aair, il ne s’agit pas de cela, that is not the question.

—, il s’agit de sa vie, his life is at stake. 5

—, de quoi s'agit-il? what is the matter ?

—, voici de quoi il s’agit, this is the question ; this is the business.

—,ne pas sagir de peu de chose, to be no trifling matter or concern.

—, il s’agit de savoir, the question is to know.

Acai, dont il s’agit; ex: l'homme dont il s’agit, the man in question.

Aiçuize, de fil en—, by degrees ; insensibly.

Aûixesse, droit d’—, birth-right.

AInsI, pour — dire, as it were.

Arr, de bon— (avec grace), grace- Sully.

—, le bel—, l— du monde, a fashionable or genteel appearance.

—, un homme du grand—, u fash-

tonable man.

—,en l—, raisonnement, crainte, espérance en l—, extravagant reasoning, fears, hopes.

—, discours en ]’—, empty discourse.

—, de l— dont il va, at the rate he gets on.

—, des propos en l—, words which signify nothing.

AIsE, un homme—, a man in easy circumstances. ,

AIsE, à son— (loisir), at one’s leisure.

—, 2 son— (commodité), at one’s convenience.

—, à son— (agréablement), at one’s ease.

—, 2 son— (par rapport a la fortune), in easy circumstances.

. AsourTer foi a, to give credit to.

ALLER a reculons, to walk back-

wards.

— a tatons, to grope along.

— à-vau-l’eau, to be lost without resource.

— au conseil (demander des conseils), to ask advice.

— au-devant d’une objection, to meet an objection.

— au-devant des désirs de quelqu'un, to anticipate one’s wishes.

— au fait, to come to the point.

— aux informations, to make inquiries.

— aux opinions, to put to the vote.

— bon train, to get on finely ; to get on at a good rate.

— bride en main, to act prudently.

— de pair avec, to be upon an equal footing with.

— la sonde en main, to act cautiously.

—, n’y pas aller de main morte, to

PECULIAR EXPRESSIONS, ETC

strike hard (frapper fort); to strive hard (faire tous ses efforts).

ALLER son train (en parlant d’une affaire), to be getting on or to be getting forward.

— son train (en parlant d’une personne), to go on one’s old way ; to be getting on one’s old way.

— sur les brisées de quelqu'un, fo rival one; to compete with one ; to act in opposition to one.

—vite en besogne, to be quick at work,

—, y aller de son honneur, de sa vie, &e.; ex: il y va de son honneur, de sa vie, &c., his honor, his life as at stake.

—, au pis aller, let the worst come to the worst ; at the worst.

—, a force de mal aller tout ira bien, when things are at the worst they will mend.

—, tous chemins vont a Rome, there are more ways than one of doing a thing.

—, cela va sans dire ou de suite, that of course ; it is unnecessary to say that.

AzLoxs! allons ! come! come !

ALLUMER, s'—, to take fire.

—, to break out ; ex: la guerre s’alluma, war broke out.

—, to rise, ex: sa bile s’allumera, his choler will rise.

ALMANACH, un faiseur d’almanachs, an idle prognosticator.

ALONGER, un coup à, une botte a, to make a blow at; to make a thrust at.

AMBITIONNER une place, &c. to aspire to a place, &e.

Ame d’un violon, the sounding post of a violin.

— d’une devise, the motto of a device.

—, l— damnée de quelqu'un, the person who does all the dirty work of another.

AMEXÉ de bien loin, far fetched.

AIMABLE, à l—, amicably.

AMORTISSEMENT, la caisse d’—, the sinking-fund.

Amuse le tapis (allonger le temps), to spin out time.

AN, bon—, mal—, one year with another.

APENs, un guet—, an ambush; u lying in wait.

APosTILLER une pétition, dc. to write a word of recommendation on a petition, &e.

APPARTENIR à (avoir le droit de), to have a right to; ex: il ne vous appartient pas de, you have no right to.

— à; ex: à tous ceux a qui il appartiendra, to all whom it may concern.

APPESANTIR, $— sur un sujet, to dwell on a subject.

—, Dieu a appesanti sa main, son bras sur ce peuple, God has stretched forth his arm against that people.

—, S—, to grow heavy; ex: mes paupières s’appesantirent, my eyelids grew heavy.

Appetit, à bon — il ne faut pas de sauce, hunger is the best sauce.

—, l'— vient en mangeant, eating

gets one an appetite.

—, chercher son—, to please one’s palate.

APPLIQUER un soufflet à quelqu’un, to give one a box on the ear.

— la question, to put to the torture.

APPRENDRE à vivre à quelqu'un, to teach one better manners.

APPROFONDIR une affaire, to inquire strictly into a business ; to search into a business ; to sift a business to the bottom.

Appui, à l— de, in support of.

—, venir à | — de, to corroborate.

—, à hauteur d’—, breast high.

—, point d—, a foundation; a basis ; a point for support.

Après, d—, according to; by;

rom.

—, (à côté), next; ex: la porte— the next door.

—, un tableau d’—, a copy from.

ARGENT, point d'argent point de Suisses, no longer pipe no longer dance.

Armes blanches, swords, lances, bayonets.