The 20 quiz questions
Question 1 : What does someone do when they "put the cart before the horse"?
Possible answers:
- He does things out of order
- He works very hard
- Il est très patient
- Il est maladroit
Explanation: This expression means doing things in the wrong order, starting with the end.
Question 2 : What do you do when you "casser les pieds" (annoy someone in French)?
Possible answers:
- You hurt them physically
- On lui rend service
- You annoy or bother them
- On le fait danser
Explanation: "Casser les pieds" means to bore or bother someone. This expression, attested since the 16th century, is a polite version of a cruder expression using another body part.
Question 3 : What does someone do when they "split hairs"?
Possible answers:
- Il est coiffeur
- He is too nitpicky
- Il va très vite
- Il est généreux
Explanation: "Couper les cheveux en quatre" (splitting hairs) means being excessively meticulous, looking for unnecessary complications.
Question 4 : What does the French expression "prendre ses jambes à son cou" mean?
Possible answers:
- Se reposer
- S'enfuir rapidement
- Faire du sport
- Avoir mal aux jambes
Explanation: "Prendre ses jambes à son cou" means to run away very fast, to flee at full speed.
Question 5 : What does the French expression "coûter les yeux de la tête" mean?
Possible answers:
- To be dangerous
- To be rare
- To be very expensive
- To be tiring
Explanation: This expression means that something is extremely expensive, very costly.
Question 6 : What does "avoir un chat dans la gorge" (to have a cat in the throat) mean?
Possible answers:
- Tousser beaucoup
- Avoir mal à la gorge
- Avoir soif
- To be hoarse
Explanation: This expression means to be hoarse or have difficulty speaking. It may come from a corruption of "maton" (curdled milk) blocking the throat.
Question 7 : What does the French expression "avoir le cœur sur la main" (to be generous) mean?
Possible answers:
- To be very generous
- To be very emotional
- To have heart disease
- Having beautiful hands
Explanation: "Avoir le cœur sur la main" means to be very generous. The heart symbolizes feelings and the hand the act of giving.
Question 8 : What does "have a green thumb" mean?
Possible answers:
- Being good at gardening
- To be sick
- To be eco-friendly
- To be jealous
Explanation: "Avoir la main verte" (to have a green thumb) means being talented at gardening, successfully growing plants.
Question 9 : What do you do when you "put a flea in someone's ear" (French expression)?
Possible answers:
- On le fait rire
- You tell them a secret
- You arouse their suspicions
- You give them a gift
Explanation: "Mettre la puce à l'oreille" means to arouse someone's suspicions or attention. In the old days, a flea in the ear would make you very alert!
Question 10 : What does the French expression "donner sa langue au chat" (give one's tongue to the cat) mean?
Possible answers:
- One gives up finding the answer
- One tells a secret
- One talks too much
- One makes a mistake
Explanation: This expression means to give up trying to find the answer. Originally, people said "throw one's tongue to the dog," meaning to abandon something worthless. In the 19th century, the cat replaced the dog as cats were considered keepers of secrets.
Question 11 : What does someone want who wishes to "have the butter and the money for the butter"?
Possible answers:
- Have everything without sacrificing anything
- Be very rich
- Make a bad choice
- Be very generous
Explanation: This French expression means wanting to have it all without sacrificing anything. It is sometimes extended to "have the butter, the money for the butter, and the smile of the dairy maid" to emphasize excessive greed.
Question 12 : What does the French expression "avoir le cafard" mean?
Possible answers:
- To be sad
- To be angry
- Avoir peur
- Avoir faim
Explanation: This expression, popularized by Baudelaire in the 19th century, means to be sad or depressed. The black cockroach represents the dark thoughts invading the mind, a symbol of melancholy.
Question 13 : What does "tomber dans les pommes" mean in French?
Possible answers:
- Trébucher
- S'endormir
- Avoir faim
- S'évanouir
Explanation: This expression means to faint. Its origin is debated, but it may come from "tomber dans les pâmes" (pâmoison = fainting).
Question 14 : What do you do when you "poser un lapin" to someone in French?
Possible answers:
- You don't show up to the appointment
- You ask them a question
- You play a prank on them
- You give them a present
Explanation: "Poser un lapin" means to stand someone up — not showing up for an appointment without warning. The expression dates from the 19th century.
Question 15 : What do you feel when "la moutarde monte au nez" in French?
Possible answers:
- De la peur
- De la colère
- De la tristesse
- De la joie
Explanation: This expression refers to the stinging sensation of strong mustard. It means that anger is gradually rising.
Question 16 : How do you describe someone who "a un poil dans la main" in French?
Possible answers:
- Paresseux
- Généreux
- Maladroit
- Nerveux
Explanation: This humorous expression describes a person so lazy that a hair has had time to grow in their palm!
Question 17 : What does the French expression "couper la poire en deux" (cut the pear in half) mean?
Possible answers:
- We argue
- We cook
- We give up
- We make a compromise
Explanation: This French expression means finding a compromise, sharing fairly between two parties.
Question 18 : What does the French expression "faire la grasse matinée" mean?
Possible answers:
- We eat a lot
- We do sports
- We sleep late
- We wake up early
Explanation: "Grasse" here means copious, abundant. "Faire la grasse matinée" means to sleep in, to sleep longer than usual.
Question 19 : What does someone do when they "mettre son grain de sel" (put their grain of salt) in a conversation?
Possible answers:
- He listens
- He gives his opinion
- He leaves
- He cooks
Explanation: "Mettre son grain de sel" means to intervene to give one's opinion, often unsolicited.
Question 20 : How is a person who "est dans les nuages" (is in the clouds)?
Possible answers:
- Very tired
- Distracted, dreamy
- Very happy
- Angry
Explanation: "Être dans les nuages" means being distracted, dreamy, not focused on reality.




