Below are English expressions = their French equivalent (and the literal translation of the equivalent, if it differs):
- Naked as a jaybird = Nu comme un ver (Naked as a worm)
- Putting all your eggs in one basket = Placer tous ses oeufs dans le même panier (idem)
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Better safe than sorry = Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir (Better to be safe than to cure)
- The lion’s share = La part du lion (idem)
- The early bird catches the worm =(+/-)= L’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt (Early risers own the future)
- To rain cats and dogs, It rained buckets =
Il pleut des cordes (It rains ropes)
OR Il pleut à sceaux (everybody around here pronounces it « à sciot », but I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be « à sceaux », which would be buckets)
OR Il tombe des clous (It is falling nails… wow, that sounds harsher in English)
OR Il pleut à boire debout (roughly: It rains enough for drinking standing up) - Beggars can’t be choosers, Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth =(+-)= À cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bride (If the horse is given, you shouldn’t be picky about the bridle)
- The cherry on top = La cerise sur le sundae (The cherry on the sundae)
- Getting ahead of one’s self = Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué (Selling the bear’s hide before killing it)
Ci-dessous vous trouverez des expressions françaises = leur équivalent anglais (et la traduction littérale de l’équivalent, s’il est différent) :
- Nu comme un vers = Naked as a jaybird (Nu comme un geai – l’oiseau)
- Placer tous ses oeufs dans le même panier = Putting all your eggs in one basket (idem)
- Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir = An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure (Une once de prévention vaut une livre de remède), Better safe than sorry (Mieux vaut être prudent que désolé)
- La part du lion = The lion’s share (idem)
- L’avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt =(+/-)= The early bird catches the worm (L’oiseau le plus tôt attrape le vers)
- Il pleut des cordes, Il pleut à sciot (à sceaux??), Il tombe des clous, Il pleut à boire debout =
To rain cats and dogs (Il pleut des chats et des chiens)
OU It rained buckets (Il pleut des sceaux) - À cheval donné, on ne regarde pas la bride =(+-)= Beggars can’t be choosers (Les mendiants ne peuvent choisir) OU Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth (Ne regarde pas un cheval donné dans la bouche)
- La cerise sur le sundae = The cherry on top (La cerise au sommet)
- Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué = Getting ahead of one’s self (Se devancer soi-même)
It should be, « the early bird catches the worm. » The intimation is that the late riser will find all the worms already taken.
And the translation you have for, « beggars can’t be choosers, » is actually a common english expression as well. We say, « don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. »
Thanks Paul, I modified the post. The repeated « bird » was an editing error, unfortunately.
« Better safe than sorry = Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir (Better safe than nursing) »
I think a closer English expression is ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. » And I’ve always translated ‘guerir’ -> ‘cure’. I think they have the same root.
And if anyone can tell me what a « Passe-Carreau » is, I’ll be able to finally sleep in peace. I think I’ve already asked you this one, Emy.
And at that time, I did not have the web at my fingertips… Rest assured, you won’t have to ask me thrice:
Sleep well!
Check out the Grand dictionnaire terminologique of l’Office québécois de la langue française. It’s a really neat reference.
Thanks for that other expression, too – I hadn’t heard it before. I will add it and will keep « Better safe than sorry » as well, because it is shorter and heard more often in English, I believe.