French expressions about hair, soaps and shampoos

Our language is full of French expressions and phrases about hair, body hair, soaps and shampoos. If you have ever heard the saying "en faire tout un savon", you know that the words "savon" and "shampoing" are often misused. Let's explore these turns of phrase that give pride of place to our body hair, body hair, beards and moustaches...

French expressions about soap
Give a dressing down

The French expression "passer un savon" to someone does not mean to wash them. No, it rather means to reprimand someone.

Washing dirty laundry in the family

Another well-known example is "washing your dirty linen in private." This expression evokes the idea of ​​cleaning up your dirty laundry, in private rather than in public, without airing your personal problems for all to see.

Soap the board

The expression "savonner la planche" is a French metaphor used to describe the action of making things difficult or putting obstacles in someone's way. It suggests the idea of ​​making a surface, here figuratively the "plank", slippery by soaping it, which can cause falls or failures.

French expressions about shampoo
To foam up

The expression "to foam up" illustrates its double meaning well. Used to describe someone who brags or puts themselves forward, it recalls the action of shampoo, which foams our hair to improve its appearance.

Do not spare the foam

On the other hand, "spare the suds" might seem like a recommendation to save on shampoo. In reality, this expression invites us to take precautions so as not to irritate or provoke a situation or a person.

French expressions about hair
Far-fetched

The expression "far-fetched" describes an idea or explanation that is too complex or unconvincing. It is therefore demonstrated with difficulty, in pain, as would be the case with pulling someone by the hair.

Tearing out hair

Means that the reflex behavior as a sign of despair or pain is to pull out one's hair, as a sign of deep disturbance.

To be within a hair's breadth

To be within a hair's breadth means to be very close, due to the fact that the average diameter of a hair varies from 50 to 100 µm. We also know the expression "ne tenir qu'à un cheveux", which means "to depend on very little".

Have a lisp

An image that suggests that having a hair on the tongue prevents the person from speaking clearly. People with "a hair on the tongue" are also said to have a lisp.

To have hair pain

Well known to party-goers, this expression means having a headache from drinking too much alcohol.

Make your hair stand on end

This expression conveys great surprise, amazement, and even horror.

Niggle

This expression comes from craftsmanship or meticulous work requiring extreme precision, such as dividing hair.

With a fine-tooth comb

To go through "with a fine-tooth comb" is not just about lice. This phrase means to examine something thoroughly. Like when you meticulously comb your hair to ensure a perfect hairstyle, inspecting the details with precise attention.

French expressions about hair
Shaving

The expression, "to shave" does not necessarily mean to shave. It can also indicate that one has been tricked or deceived. Barbers used to be poorly perceived because they were in the perfect position to cut men when trimming their beards. This reputation has completely reversed today and the concept of barber has come back into fashion.

Get naked

Getting naked is a colloquial expression to describe getting completely naked. Indeed, when naked, our body hair is visible, conversely, when we are dressed, we hide most of it.

Boring!

Have you ever been told that you are boring? If so, you need to question yourself because you are considered boring.

To give someone a mustache

Although less common, the expression "to put a moustache on someone" means to attribute something to someone, sometimes erroneously.

To have hair on the chin

This expression means to have experience. It echoes the appearance of the first beard hairs, arriving at puberty, synonymous with virility and maturity since the Middle Ages.

To be in a bad mood

This expression means to be in a bad mood, and not to hide it.

Getting back on track

This is an expression to talk about someone who is recovering from an illness or a bad patch. Indeed, an ancient belief wanted that in the event of an animal bite, we put a hair to speed up the healing. When we regained the hair of the animal, we were cured!

To have a hair in the hand

This expression means "to be lazy". The basis comes from the fact that a hair can grow in the palm of hands that are used little, due to inactivity.

Put on the mustache

This expression is a fancy way of describing punching someone in the face.

Words are rinsed and repeated, leaving behind traces of foam and meaning. Each French expression about hair, body hair, soaps and shampoos carries with it a part of our culture. So, the next time you use them, think about the French expressions they inspired and have fun integrating them into your conversations. Who knows, you might even make the atmosphere foam!