French Final

Front 1

à bon chat, bon rat

Back 1

meet one's match; tit for tat; an equal

Front 2

à bon vin, point d’enseigne

Back 2

the reputation of a good thing precedes it

Front 3

aide-toi, le ciel t-aidera

Back 3

God helps those who help themselves

Front 4

après la pluie, le beau temps

Back 4

every cloud has a silver lining

Front 5

aussitôt dit, aussitôt fait

Back 5

said and done

Front 6

avoir le beurre et l’argent du beurre

Back 6

to have one’s cake and eat it too, to

Front 7

beaucoup de bruit pour rien

Back 7

much ado about nothing

Front 8

c'est la goutte d'eau qui fait déborder levase

Back 8

it's the straw that broke the camel's back; it's the last straw

Front 9

chacun ses gôuts

Back 9

to each his own

Front 10

charité bien ordonné commence par soi-même

Back 10

charity begins at home

Front 11

charbonnier est maître chez soi

Back 11

every man’s home is his castle

Front 12

comme on fait son lit, on se couche

Back 12

as you make your bed, so you shall lie in it

Front 13

faute de grives, on mange des merles

Back 13

beggars can’t be choosers

Front 14

il faut battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud

Back 14

strike while the iron is hot

Front 15

il faut casser le noyau pour avoir l’amande

Back 15

no pain, no gain; one has to break some eggs to make an omelet (lit.: one must crack the shell to get the almond)

Front 16

il faut toujours garder une poire pour la soif

Back 16

save for a rainy day (lit.: one must always keep a pear for thirst)

Front 17

il n’y a pas de fumée sans feu

Back 17

where there’s smoke, there’s fire

Front 18

il ne faut pas juger les gens sur la mine

Back 18

don’t judge a book by its cover (lit.: do not judge people by their appearance)

Front 19

il y a un temps pour tout

Back 19

there is a right time for everything

Front 20

jamais deux sans trois

Back 20

bad things come in threes

Front 21

jamais deux sans trois

Back 21

bad things come in threes

Front 22

l’arbre cache souvent la forêt

Back 22

one can’t see the forest through the trees (lit.: the tree often hides the forest)

Front 23

l’argent ne fait pas le bonheur

Back 23

money can’t buy happiness

Front 24

l’exception confirme la règle

Back 24

the exception that proves the rule (i.e.: one exception does not necessarily disprove a rule, and can, when examined closely, confirm

Front 25

l’habit ne fait pas le moine

Back 25

clothes don’t make the man (lit.: the habit doesn’t make the monk)

Front 26

l’intention vaut le fait

Back 26

it is the thought that counts (lit.: the intention is worth the act)

Front 27

la fin justifie les moyens

Back 27

the end justifies the means

Front 28

la parole est d’argent, mais le silence est d’or

Back 28

words are silver, yet silence is golden

Front 29

les arbres cachent la forêt

Back 29

the trees hide the forest

Front 30

les grands diseurs ne sont pas les grands faiseurs

Back 30

great talkers are not great
doers

Front 31

haste makes waste; one can’t see the forest through the

Back 31

trees (lit.: the tree often hides the forest)

Front 32

loin des yeux, loin du coeur

Back 32

out of sight, out of mind (lit.: far from the eyes, far from the heart)

Front 33

mieux vaut tard que jamais

Back 33

better late than never

Front 34

n’éveillez pas le chat qui dort

Back 34

let sleeping dogs lie (lit.: do not awaken the sleeping cat)

Front 35

on ne fait pas d’omelette sans casser des œufs

Back 35

you cannot make an omelete without breaking some eggs (i.e.: nothing is achieved without pain and sacrifice)

Front 36

on ne marie pas les poules avec les renards

Back 36

different strokes for different folks; to each his or her own (lit.: one does not marry hens to foxes)

Front 37

on ne prend pas les mouches avec du vinaigre

Back 37

one doesn’t attract flies with vinegar

Front 38

Paris ne s’est pas fait en un jour

Back 38

Rome wasn’t built in a day (lit.: Paris wasn’t built in a day. Note that the cities switch)

Front 39

pour un clou, Martin perdit son âne

Back 39

for want of a nail, the kingdom was lost (lit.: for lack of a nail, Martin lost his donkey

Front 40

point de nouvelles, bonnes nouvelles

Back 40

no news is good news (lit.: no news, good news)

Front 41

pourquoi remettre au lendemain ce que l'on peut faire le jour même

Back 41

why put off until tomorrow what can be done today

Front 42

si chacun se mêlait de ses propres affaires, tout irait pour le mieux

Back 42

if we each attend to our own affairs, it would be for the best for all

Front 43

si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait

Back 43

youth is wasted on the young (lit.: if youth knew, if old age could)

Front 44

souris qui n’a qu’un trou est bientôt prise

Back 44

better safe than sorry; an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure (lit.: a mouse that has only one hole is quickly caught)

Front 45

tel père, tel fils

Back 45

like father, like son (lit.: such the father, such the son)

Front 46

tous les chemins mènent à Rome

Back 46

all roads lead to Rome (i.e.: there are many ways to arrive at a particular goal)

Front 47

tout ce qui brille n’est pas or

Back 47

all that glitters is not gold

Front 48

tout est bien qui finit bien

Back 48

all’s well that ends well

Front 49

une hirondelle ne fait pas le printemps

Back 49

one swallow doesn't make a summer (lit.: one swallow doesn't make spring)

Front 50

vouloir, c’est pouvoir

Back 50

where there’s a will, there’s a way (lit.: to want is to be able)