Racine, Plaideurs, i. 1.]
Apparence
Pour sauver les apparences = For the sake of appearances.
Selon toute apparence = In all probability.
Appartenir
A tous ceux qu’il appartiendra (legal) = To all whom it may concern.
Appât
*C’est un trop vieux poisson pour mordre à l’appât = He is too old a bird to be caught with chaff.
Appel
Faire l’appel = To call the roll.
Manquer à l’appel = To be missing, absent.
Battre l’appel = To call to arms.
Appeler
Il appelle les choses par leur nom = He calls a spade a spade.
[“J’appelle un chat un chat, et Rolet un fripon.”—Boileau, Satires, i. 52.]
Voilà ce que j’appelle pleuvoir = This is what I call raining with a vengeance.
Appétit
Bon appétit = Good appetite; I hope you will enjoy your meal.
*L’appétit vient en mangeant = One leg of mutton helps down another; The more one has the more one wants; Begin to eat, you’ll soon be hungry.
[“As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on.”
Hamlet, i. 2.
“L’appétit vient en mangeant, disait Angeston, mais la soif s’en va en buvant.”—Rabelais, Gargantua, i.]
*Il n’est chère que d’appétit = Hunger is the best sauce.
[“Ἡ ἐπιθυμία τοῦ σίτου ὄψον.”
Xenophon, Cyrop. i. 5, 12.]
*Pain dérobé réveille appétit = Stolen joys are sweet.
Apprendre
Les malheurs s’apprennent bien vite = Ill news flies fast (or, apace).
Vous apprendrez avec plaisir. … = You will be glad to hear. …
*Ce n’est pas à un vieux singe qu’on apprend à faire des grimaces (fam.) = One does not teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs. (See Remontrer.)
[The Greek equivalent was, “To teach an eagle to fly,” or “to teach a dolphin to swim.”—Zenob. ii. 49.
The Romans said, “Sus Minervam docet.” Cf. Cicero, De Oratore, ii. 57.]
Apprenti
*Apprenti n’est pas maître = One must not expect from a beginner the talent of an old hand; You must spoil before you spin.
Appui
Mur à hauteur d’appui = A wall breast high (so that one may lean against it).
Faites la proposition, j’irai à l’appui de la boule = You make the proposal, and I will support it.
[This idiom comes from the game of bowls, when by hitting your partner’s ball you may drive it nearer the goal, though unable to approach yourself.]
Appuyer
Vous vous appuyez sur un roseau = You are trusting to a broken reed.
Après
*Après lui il faut tirer l’échelle = One cannot do better than he has; No one can come up to him in that; That takes the cake.
[Comp. Molière, Médecin malgré lui, ii. 1.]
*Jeter le manche après la cognée = To throw the helve after the hatchet; To give up in despair.
*Après nous le déluge = A short life and a merry one; We need not bother about what will happen after we are gone.
[These words were attributed to Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764) in reply to those who remonstrated with her for her extravagance—“When I am gone, the deluge may come for all I care.” (See Desprez, Essai sur la Marquise de Pompadour, a preface to his Mémoirs de Madame du Hausset.) The same idea occurs in the Greek proverb quoted by Cicero (De Finibus, iii. 19), “Ἐμοῦ θανόντος γαῖα μιχθήτω πυρί.” Milton suggests Tiberius as saying, “When I die, let the earth be rolled in flames.”—Reason of Church Government, i. 5.]
Araignée
Avoir une araignée dans le (or, au) plafond = To have a bee in one’s bonnet.
Arbre
*Entre l’arbre et l’écorce il ne faut pas mettre le doigt = One must not interfere in other people’s quarrels.
[This proverb has been travestied by Molière, who makes Sganarelle say: “Apprenez que Cicéron dit qu’entre l’arbre et le doigt il ne faut pas mettre l’écorce.”—Le Médecin malgré lui, i. 2.]
L’arbre ne tombe pas au premier coup = Everything requires time and exertion; Rome was not built in a day.
Quand l’arbre est tombé tout le monde court aux branches = When the tree falls every one goeth to it with his hatchet.
Il s’est toujours tenu au gros de l’arbre = He has always sided with the stronger side.
Arc
Débander l’arc ne guérit pas la plaie = To cease doing mischief does not undo the harm one has done.
Arçon
Être ferme sur les arçons = (lit.) To have a firm seat in the saddle; (fig.) Not to waver in one’s principles.
Il a vidé les arçons = He was unhorsed.
Argent
L’argent est un bon passe-partout = Gold goes in at any gate, except heaven.
[“Amour fait moult
Mais argent fait tout.”]
Être cousu d’argent = To be made of money; To be rolling in riches.
Il est chargé d’argent comme un crapaud de plumes = He is penniless.
Y aller bon jeu bon argent = To set about a thing in earnest.
*Point d’argent, point de Suisse = No money, no Swiss; No pay, no piper.
[In the Middle Ages the Swiss were the chief mercenaries of Europe, and occasionally had to resort to severe measures to obtain their pay. Compare Racine, Plaideurs, i. 1. One day when the Swiss were asking for their pay from the king the French Prime Minister said: “The money we have given these Swiss would pave a road from Paris to Basle.” To which the Swiss commander replied: “And the blood we have shed for France would fill a river from Basle to Paris!”]
Payer argent comptant = To pay ready money; To pay in hard cash.
[Synonyms are: En beaux deniers comptants or, en espèces sonnantes et trébuchantes.]
Prendre quelque chose pour argent comptant = To take something for gospel.
Je suis à court d’argent (fam. à sec)