En plein dans le mille !
The French expression “En plein dans le mille !” means “Exactly!”, “Spot on!”, or “Right on target!”.
Origin
It comes from archery and target shooting. “Le mille” refers to the center of the target, the highest-scoring area. Hitting “en plein dans le mille” means hitting the exact spot, achieving perfect accuracy.
Usage
It’s used to say that someone is absolutely right or has found the correct answer.
✅Examples
— À mon avis, il a refusé l’offre parce qu’il a une meilleure opportunité ailleurs.
— Exactement, en plein dans le mille ! 🎯
(In my opinion, he refused the offer because he has a better opportunity elsewhere.
— Exactly, spot on!)
avoir failli faire quelque chose
The French expression “avoir failli faire quelque chose” means “to have almost done something” or “to have nearly done something.” It expresses an action that was very close to happening but ultimately did not.
Structure:
Avoir failli + [infinitive verb]
✅Examples
🔹 J’ai failli tomber dans l’escalier.
➡ (I almost fell down the stairs.)
🔹 Elle a failli oublier son rendez-vous.
➡ (She almost forgot her appointment.)
🔹 Nous avons failli rater notre train.
➡ (We almost missed our train.)
✅Examples from the text
- Nous avions le nez dans le guidon, si bien que vous avons failli déclarer forfait au bout de six mois, car les choses se sont compliquées.
- On a failli vous mettre KO, mais vous avez encaissé les coups. Chapeau !
botter en touche
“Botter en touche” is a French idiom meaning to avoid a question or issue, to dodge a subject, or to sidestep a problem instead of addressing it directly.
Origin
It comes from rugby, where kicking the ball “en touche” (out of bounds) interrupts the game and delays the opponent’s play.
Usage
It’s often used in politics, interviews, or debates when someone avoids answering a direct question.
✅Examples
➡ Lorsqu’on lui a demandé son avis sur la réforme, le ministre a botté en touche.
➡ (When asked about the reform, the minister dodged the question.)
Rebelote
“Rebelote” is a French expression meaning “here we go again” or “once again”. It is used when something happens again, often in a repetitive or predictable way.
Origin
It comes from the card game Belote, where “rebelote” is announced when a player has both the King and Queen of trumps, earning extra points. Over time, it became a general expression for something repeating.
Usage
It can express resignation, frustration, or amusement about a situation happening again.
✅Examples
➡ Il a encore oublié notre rendez-vous… Rebelote !
➡ (He forgot our meeting again… Here we go again!)
tirer son épingle du jeu
The French expression “tirer son épingle du jeu” means to manage to get out of a difficult situation skillfully or advantageously. It implies being able to avoid trouble, stand out, or succeed where others may struggle.
Breakdown of the expression
- Tirer = to pull or withdraw
- Son épingle = one’s pin
- Du jeu = from the game
Originally, it referred to a game where players withdrew their pins before they could be trapped. Over time, it came to symbolize being able to escape or succeed cleverly in a challenging situation.
✅Examples
🔹 Malgré la crise économique, cette petite entreprise a su tirer son épingle du jeu.
(Despite the economic crisis, this small company managed to do well.)
dernière ligne droite
The French expression “dernière ligne droite” translates to “the final stretch” in English. It refers to the last phase of a process, project, or event, often implying that the goal is near, but some effort is still needed to reach it.
Origin
The phrase comes from sports, especially horse racing and athletics, where the “last straight line” is the final section of the track before the finish line.
✅Examples
🔹 Nous sommes dans la dernière ligne droite avant le lancement du produit.
➡ (We are in the final stretch before the product launch.)
🔹 Il ne reste que deux semaines avant l’examen, c’est la dernière ligne droite !
➡ (There are only two weeks left before the exam, this is the final stretch!)
encaisser le coup
The French expression “encaisser le coup” means “to take a hit” (figuratively) or “to endure a shock or difficulty”. It refers to someone absorbing a difficult situation, bad news, or an emotional blow without immediately reacting or breaking down.
Breakdown of the expression
- Encaisser = to cash in, to take in, or to withstand
- Le coup = the blow or hit
It comes from the idea of a boxer taking a punch and staying on their feet, symbolizing resilience in tough situations.
✅Examples
🔹 Il a perdu son emploi, mais il a su encaisser le coup.
➡ (He lost his job, but he managed to take it in stride.)
🔹 Quand elle a appris la nouvelle, elle a eu du mal à encaisser le coup.
➡ (When she heard the news, she had a hard time handling it.)
Chapeau !
The French expression “Chapeau !” is an informal way to say “Hats off!” or “Well done!” in English. It is used to express admiration or respect for someone’s achievement, effort, or talent.
Origin:
The expression tirer un coup de chapeau à means to take one’s hat off to, i.e. congratulate, acknowledge, etc.
It comes from the gesture of tipping or removing one’s hat as a sign of respect or appreciation, which was common in the past.
✅Examples
🔹 Tu as réussi cet examen avec une super note ? Chapeau !
➡ (You passed this exam with a great score? Hats off! 👏)
🔹 Il a couru un marathon malgré sa blessure. Chapeau !
➡ (He ran a marathon despite his injury. Well done!)
It’s a short but powerful way to congratulate someone.
Vocabulaire
| mots | explications |
|---|---|
| en plein dans le mille | (au centre d’une cible) in the bull’s-eye, right in the bull’s-eye▶︎ Cet archer a planté sa flèche en plein dans le mille.(exactement) spot on▶︎ En plein dans le mille ! C’est pour ça qu’il a demandé ça ! |
| mille | (quantité de mille unités) a thousand⭐(disque central des jeux de fléchettes) bull’s-eye |
| en plein [qch] | in the middle of [sth] |
| pousse | (bourgeon) shoot, sprout▶︎ C’est au printemps que les arbres ont de jeunes pousses. It’s in spring that the trees have young shoots. |
| pousser | (croître, se développer) grow, (teeth) come through, push through, push, drive |
| jeune pousse | (start-up, entreprise basée sur Internet) newly formed company, Internet startup |
| pousse de bambou | (très jeune bambou) bamboo shoot |
| spécialisé | (très compétent sur un domaine) specializing |
| mettre au point | Photographie (régler pour améliorer la netteté) focus, bring [sth] into focus⭐(élaborer) develop▶︎ Nous allons mettre au point de nouvelles formes d’énergie respectueuses de l’environnement. We are going to develop new, environment-friendly forms of energy. |
| respectueux | adj. respectful, polite▶︎ Elle est très respectueuse à l’égard de ses parents. She is very respectful towards her parents.(soucieux) conscientious |
| respectueux de l’environnement | (qui protège a nature) environmentally aware |
| la mise au point | n.f. focus, development |
| dispositif | n.m. mechanism, device▶︎ un dispositif de pointage a pointing device, mousewidely used in the media and advertising as a blanket term for all kinds of plans, systems, arrangements, etc▶︎ un dispositif d’assurance an insurance system, scheme, measure, etc |
| remplacer | replace |
| remplacer [qch] (par [qch]) | (utiliser [qch] à la place de [qch] d’autre) replace [sth] with [sth] |
| pneu | (pneumatique) tire |
| pneu neige | (pneu adapté à l’hiver) snow tire, winter tire |
| coussin | cushion |
| coussin d’air | (matelas) air cushion |
| reportage | (compte rendu médiatique) report |
| filet | net |
| innovant | innovative |
| partielle | partial, incomplete |
| parcours | n.m. route, path, course, experience, studies, academic career |
| sans faute | adv. without fail |
| sans-faute | flawless performance |
| avoir le vent en poupe | to have the wind in one’s sails (It comes from sailing: “la poupe” is the stern (back) of a ship. When the wind blows from behind, the ship moves faster and more easily. It describes a person, company, or project that is experiencing great success or strong momentum.) |
| poupe | (arrière d’un navire) (ship) stern |
| placer la barre haut | (viser haut, être ambitieux) (figurative) set the bar high (haut is an adverb here, not an adjective, and therefore does not agree with la barre) |
| mettre la barre haut | (⇒placer la barre haut) |
| rudimentaire | rudimentary, basic |
| aussi … que | (comparaison : autant que) as … as |
| départ | (fait de partir) departure⭐(début de [qch]) start, outset |
| au départ | to begin with, to start with, at first |
| étape | stage, step |
| brûler les étapes | (se précipiter, aller trop vite) cut corners, jump the gun, progress in leaps and bounds |
| coiffer | do [sb]’s hair |
| concurrent | noun. competitor, contestant, rival, (adj.) competing |
| poteau | post |
| au poteau | (condamnation, réprobation) Down with [sb/sth] |
| coiffer [qqn] au poteau | (finir juste devant [qqn]) pip [sb] at the post |
| guidon | (pièce de direction) (bike) handlebars |
| avoir le nez dans le guidon | (être focalisé sur sa tâche) (informal, figurative) have your nose to the grindstone(ne pas prendre assez de recul) be so focused on [sth] that you can no longer see the big picture, lose perspective, lose all perspective |
| si bien que | (de telle façon que) so much that, so much so that |
| avoir failli faire [qch] | (avoir manqué de faire) almost did [sth], nearly did [sth] |
| faillir à [qch] | fail in [sth] |
| forfait | flat fee, flat rate, withdrawal, forfeit |
| jeter l’éponge | (abandonner un projet, une idée) throw in the towel |
| coûteux | (cher) costly, expensive |
| cap | (Géographie : pointe de terre) cape, headland(direction) course, direction(étape) stage |
| changer de cap | (navire : changer de direction) change course |
| renvoyer | (envoyer à nouveau) send [sth] again, resend |
| renvoyer [qqn] dans les cordes | (remettre [qqn] à sa place) (figurative) put [sb] in his/her place |
| envoyer | send |
| rendre compte de [qch] | report on [sth], give a report on [sth], give a summary of [sth] |
| se rendre compte de [qch] | realize, become aware of [sth], become aware that |
| reculer | (aller en arrière) go back, go backwards, step backwards, (especially in vehicle) reverse |
| sauter | jump |
| reculer pour mieux sauter | (prendre du recul) (figurative) take a step back to see the big picture, take a step back in order to take a big jump forward, prepare to move ahead |
| soumis | p.p. ⇒soumettre submit |
| investissement | investment |
| botter en touche | (éluder une question) (sports) kick into touch, evade the issue, dodge the issue, pass the buck |
| botter | put boots on, boot, kick |
| sous prétexte que | (simplement parce que) on the pretext that |
| sous prétexte de | (en invoquant une raison) on the pretext of |
| le nôtre | (qui est à nous) ours▶︎ Ce n’est pas votre problème, c’est le nôtre. |
| ça alors | Goodness! Goodness me! My goodness! |
| rebelote | (figure valant des points supplémentaires) (cards: double trump) rebelote(marquant [qch] qui se répète) same thing again, yet again |
| légèrement | lightly, gently, softly |
| dossier | file |
| viser | aim |
| banc | bench |
| initial | (f: initiale, mpl: initiaux, fpl: initiales) initial |
| convaincant | adj. persuasive, convincing |
| balle est dans ton camp | figuré (c’est à toi d’agir) (figurative) the ball is in your court |
| tirer son épingle du jeu | (bien s’en sortir) play your cards right |
| épingle | (petite tige pointue) pin |
| dernière ligne droite | (ultime effort à fournir) (figurative) home straight, home stretch, homestretch, last push, final push |
| encaisser le coup | (se remettre d’un coup dur) (sports) take a blow, (figurative) take it (all) in your stride, take it on the chin |
| encaisser | (mettre en caisse) box, pack, put [sth] in cases,⭐(recevoir : un coup) take, withstand▶︎ Pendant plus de cinq minutes, le boxeur a encaissé les coups de son adversaire sans faiblir. The boxer withstood his opponent’s blows without flinching for over five minutes. |
| caisse | box, caseargot (automobile) car, motor, ride, wheels |
| Chapeau l’artiste ! | (félicitations ! Bravo !) Hats off to the artist!, Hats off to the performer! Bravo! |