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Animal Idioms in English: The Ones French Speakers Mix Up

By Philip Simon ·

You walk into a London pub and hear someone say they are feeling under the weather. You nod, but your brain immediately translates it to the French equivalent, and suddenly you are imagining a damp, shivering snail. You do not feel like a snail. You feel like a cat. This happens because French and English both love animal idioms, but they pick completely different creatures to express the same feelings. If you translate literally from your native tongue, you will sound like a confused tourist. You will talk about jumping from a rooster to a donkey when you mean changing topics. You will claim to have the cockroach when you simply need a coffee. This guide stops the literal translation habit. We will look at the specific English animal idioms that trip up French speakers and show you exactly which French expression is hiding behind your mistakes.

To feel under the weather

This is the most common trap. You want to say you are feeling ill or sad, so you reach for the French phrase 'avoir le cafard'. Your brain translates 'cafard' to 'cockroach', and you announce to your boss that you have a cockroach. You do not have a cockroach. You are feeling under the weather. The English idiom has nothing to do with insects. It describes a physical sensation of being unwell, like a damp, gloomy day. Do not use the word 'weather' to mean 'cafard'. Use it to mean you are sick or just not quite yourself.

To jump from one subject to another

When your conversation goes off track, you might want to say 'sauter du coq à l'âne'. You might think this means jumping from a rooster to a donkey. It does not. In English, we say 'to jump from one subject to another' or 'to go off on a tangent'. If you tell a colleague you are jumping from a rooster to a donkey, they will stare at you. They will wonder if you are planning a farm escape. The French idiom uses a rooster and a donkey. The English idiom uses abstract concepts. Keep the animals in the barn and use the words 'subject' and 'tangent'.

It is freezing cold

You are shivering in a Parisian winter and want to say 'il fait un froid de canard'. You translate 'canard' to 'duck' and say 'it is a duck's cold'. You sound ridiculous. The English idiom is 'it is freezing my bones off' or 'it is bitterly cold'. We do not use ducks to measure temperature. Ducks are waterproof. We use bones. If you are cold, talk about your bones freezing. Do not mention waterfowl. Your bones are the ones suffering, not the ducks.

To let the cat out of the bag

You have a secret, and you accidentally reveal it. You might think of the French 'laisser le chat dehors' or similar phrases about cats. In English, we say 'to let the cat out of the bag'. This means to reveal a secret accidentally. It comes from old markets where people sold pigs in bags, and someone would steal a cat and put it in the bag instead. If you sell a cat instead of a pig, the secret is out. Do not use 'bag' and 'cat' to mean a simple mistake. Use it only when a secret escapes your lips.

To have a beef with someone

You are angry at a friend. You want to say 'j'ai un différend avec lui'. You might try to use the French word for meat, 'viande', or think about cows. In English, we say 'to have a beef with someone'. 'Beef' means a complaint or a quarrel. It comes from the idea of cattle. If you have a beef, you are not holding a steak. You are holding a grudge. Do not use 'beef' to mean food. Use it to mean a conflict. If you are hungry, eat a burger. If you are angry, have a beef.

To sit on the fence

You cannot make a decision. You want to say 'je ne sais pas quoi faire'. You might think of a French phrase involving a horse or a donkey. In English, we say 'to sit on the fence'. This means to remain undecided. Imagine a literal fence. If you sit on it, you are not on either side. You are stuck in the middle. Do not use 'fence' to mean a boundary. Use it to mean indecision. If you sit on the fence, you are not choosing a side. You are just waiting for the decision to make itself.

Common questions

Can I use 'cockroach' in English to mean sadness?

No. In English, a cockroach is a pest. It has nothing to do with emotions. If you say you have a cockroach, people will check your shoes. Use 'under the weather' or 'feeling down' instead.

Why do English idioms use animals that French speakers do not expect?

Idioms come from history and daily life. French culture used roosters and donkeys in old jokes. English culture used cats in bags and cattle in fields. The animals reflect the history of the language. You cannot swap them because the history is different.

Is 'freezing my bones' the only way to say it is cold?

No. You can say 'it is bitterly cold' or 'it is freezing'. But do not use 'duck'. Ducks are not cold. They are wet. Use words that describe temperature, not animals.

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Sources

  1. Learner English, Cambridge University Press.
  2. Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press.

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