{"id":458,"date":"2018-06-04T20:27:10","date_gmt":"2018-06-04T20:27:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allaboutfrench.net\/?p=458"},"modified":"2018-07-22T22:57:22","modified_gmt":"2018-07-22T22:57:22","slug":"do-you-give-you-tongue-to-the-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allaboutfrench.net\/fr\/do-you-give-you-tongue-to-the-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you give you tongue to the cat ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What could cat<\/em> mean in French…<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Because cats have been a\u00a0presence\u00a0in French households and businesses for centuries, references to them are common. Here are six of the most iconic French idioms using the French word for cat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Note that the French word for cat is “un chat” (silent “t”), when speaking generically or about a male cat. It is “une chatte” (“t” is pronounced), when speaking about a female cat. For both, the “ch” takes\u00a0the “sh” sound in “shave,” not the “tch” usually found in English.<\/span><\/p>\n

Careful<\/em>:\u00a0The feminine word for cat (“une chatte”) has the same double entendre meaning as the English word “pussy.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Appeler un chat un chat<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Translation:\u00a0<\/strong>To call a cat a cat<\/span>
\nMeaning:<\/strong>\u00a0To say things as they are; to call a spade a spade\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Patrice est un gros menteur. Il faut appeler un chat un chat.<\/em><\/span>
\nPatrice is a big liar. He needs to say things the way they are.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Avoir un chat dans la gorge<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Translation:\u00a0<\/strong>To have a cat in the throat<\/span>
\nMeaning:<\/strong>\u00a0 To have a frog in the throat, an excess of mucus<\/span><\/p>\n

Et je pense que… hum, hum.\u00a0D\u00e9sol\u00e9e, j’avais un chat dans la gorge.<\/em><\/span>
\nAnd I think that… hmm, hmm. Sorry, I had a frog in the throat.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Donner sa langue au chat<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Translation:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0To give your tongue to the cat<\/span>
\nMeaning:<\/strong>\u00a0 To not be able to guess.<\/span>
\nCareful:\u00a0<\/strong>It’s different from the English “Cat got your tongue,” which means to have nothing to say.<\/span><\/p>\n

Et alors? Qui vient d\u00eener demain ? Tu donnes ta langue au chat ? C’est Pierre!
\n<\/em><\/span>So? Who is coming for dinner tomorrow? You can’t guess? It’s Pierre!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quand le chat n’est pas l\u00e0, les souris dansent.<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Translation:\u00a0<\/strong>When the cat is away, the mice dance<\/span>.
\n<\/strong>Meaning:<\/strong>\u00a0 People misbehave without supervision.\u00a0<\/span>
\nCareful:<\/strong>\u00a0The verb is “danser” with an “s” in French, not like “dance<\/span>” with a “c” in English.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ton ado a fait la f\u00eate toute la nuit quand vous \u00e9tiez partis le weekend dernier? Ce n’est pas surprenant: Quand le chat n’est pas l\u00e0, les souris dansent.<\/em><\/span>
\nYour teen partied all night while you were gone last weekend? This is not surprising: When the cat is away, the mice will play.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Il n’y a pas un chat.<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Translation:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0There is not a cat (in sight).<\/span>
\nMeaning:<\/strong>\u00a0\u200bThere is no one (or only a few people, but less than expected).\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

Il n’y avait pas un chat \u00e0 la r\u00e9union.<\/em><\/span>
\nThere was no one at the meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. C’est du pipi de chat.<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Translation:\u00a0<\/strong>It’s cat pee.<\/span>
\nMeaning:<\/strong>\u00a0It’s not important.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

Tes probl\u00e8mes \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 de ceux de Pierre, c’est du pipi de chat!<\/em><\/span>
\nYour problems compared to Pierre’s are nothing!<\/span><\/p>\n

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