S’accorder comme chien et chat = To live a cat and dog life.
Accoutumer
Chose accoutumée n’est pas fort prisée = Familiarity breeds contempt.
[The Latin version of a sentence in Plutarch’s Morals runs: “Nimia familiaritas contemptum parit.”
Fais feste au chien, il te gastera ton habit.
“Jamais trop compagnon à nul ne te feras
Car bien que moins de joye moins d’ennuy tu auras.”]
Accrocher
Un homme qui se noie s’accroche à tout = A drowning man catches at a straw.
Il a accroché sa montre (pop.) = He has “popped” his watch.
[Other popular synonyms are the following:—
Il a mis sa montre au clou (pop.) = His watch is up the spout.
J’ai porté ma montre chez ma tante (pop.) = My watch is at my uncle’s.]
Acheter
Acheter à vil prix = To buy dirt cheap, for a mere song.
Acheter chat en poche = To buy a pig in a poke.
Acheter par francs et vendre par écus = To buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest; To sell at a high profit.
Achever
C’est un voleur achevé = He is an arrant thief.
Achoppement
La pierre d’achoppement = The stumbling-block.
Acquérir
*Le bien mal acquis ne profite jamais = Ill-gotten gains benefit no one; Cheats never prosper; Ill got, ill spent.
Acquit
Faire quelque chose par manière d’acquit = To do something for form’s sake, perfunctorily.
[This is a shortened form of faire quelque chose pour l’acquit de sa conscience = to do something to satisfy one’s conscience.]
Donner l’acquit = To break (at billiards).
Pour acquit = Received (on bills).
Acte
Faire acte de présence = To put in an appearance.
Adieu
Sans adieu = I shall not say good-bye; I shall see you again soon.
[“Adieu” is shortened from “Je vous recommande à la grâce de Dieu.” Comp. “Sans adieu, chevalier, je crois que nous nous reverrons bientôt.”—Lesage.]
Adresse
Le trait est arrivé à son adresse = The shaft (or, arrow) hit the mark; He took the hint.
Adresser
Vous vous adressez mal; Vous vous adressez bien (ironic.) = You have come to the wrong person; You have mistaken your man.
Advenir
*Advienne que pourra = Happen what may.
Affaire
Cela fera parfaitement l’affaire = That will do capitally; That will suit down to the ground.
C’est son affaire = That is his business, his look-out.
Ça, c’est mon affaire = That is my business; It is no business of yours.
Il est sûr de son affaire = He will pay for it; He will catch it.
Je ne dis pas mes affaires aux autres = I do not tell others my plans (or business); I keep my concerns to myself.
J’entends votre affaire = I see what is to be done for you.
Ils parlent affaires = They are talking business.
Ils parlent boutique = They are talking shop.
C’est une triste affaire = It is a sad business.
S’attirer une mauvaise affaire = To get into a mess, scrape.
Quand on a de l’esprit, on se tire d’affaire = When one has brains, one gets out of any difficulty.
[Distinguish between se tirer and s’attirer.]
Si quelque affaire t’importe, ne la fais pas par procureur = If you want a thing done, do it yourself.
L’affaire a été chaude = It was warm work (referring to a fight).
Une affaire d’honneur = A duel.
Où sont mes affaires? = Where are my things?
Les affaires ne vont pas (ne marchent pas) = Trade is dull, slack.
Je suis dans les affaires = I am in business.
[“Les affaires? C’est bien simple, c’est l’argent des autres.”—Alex. Dumas fils, La Question d’Argent, ii. 7.]
Mêlez-vous de vos affaires = Mind your own business.
Avoir affaire = To be occupied.
Avoir affaire à quelqu’un = To have to speak to (to deal with) a person.
[Sometimes as a threat:
Il aura affaire à moi = He will have to deal with me.]
Avoir affaire de quelqu’un = To need a person.
[“J’ai affaire de vous, ne vous éloignez pas.”]
Avoir son affaire = To have what suits one. J’ai mon affaire = I have found what I want. J’ai votre affaire = I have got the very thing for you. Il aura son affaire (ironic.) = He will catch it.
C’est toute une affaire = It is a serious matter; It means a lot of bother (or, trouble).
C’est une affaire faite = It is as good as done.
Son affaire est faite = He is a dead man (of one dying); He is done for; He is a ruined man.
Faire son affaire = (of oneself) To succeed. Il fait tout doucement son affaire = He is getting on slowly but surely. (Of others) To punish. S’il le rencontre, il lui fera son affaire = If he meets him he will give it to him, will “do” for him.
Il a fait ses affaires dans les vins = He made his money in the wine trade.
J’en fais mon affaire = I will take the responsibility of the matter; I will see to it; I will take it in hand.
Vous avez fait là une belle affaire (ironic.) = You have made a pretty mess of it.
Une affaire de rien = A mere nothing, a trifle.
Il est hors d’affaire = He is out of danger.
Être au dessous de ses affaires, être au dessus de ses affaires (ironic.) = To be unable to meet one’s liabilities, to be unsuccessful.
Quelle affaire! En voilà une affaire! (ironic.) = What a to-do! What a row about nothing!
La belle affaire! = Is that all? (i.e. it is not so difficult or important as you seem to think).
Il