Chapter V: Vache

_Parler français comme une vache espagnole_ = To talk horribly
bad French. (See _Français_.)

“_Un homme qui n’a jamais mangé de la vache enragée n’est jamais
qu’une poule mouillée_” (Mme. DE GIRARDIN) = A man who has never
roughed it is always a milksop.

_C’est le grand chemin des vaches_ = That is the beaten track.

_Le plancher des vaches_ (fam.) = Terra firma.

Vaincre

*“_À vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire_” = Where there
is no danger, there is no glory.
[CORNEILLE, _Cid_, ii. 2. Compare: “Scit eum sine gloria vinci
qui sine periculo vincitur.”--SENECA, _De Providentia_, iii.]

Valet

_Il n’y a pas de grand homme pour son valet de chambre_ = No man
is a hero to his valet.

_On ne prend pas de valet pour se servir soi-même_ = What! keep a
dog and bark thyself!

Valeur

“_Aux âmes bien nées
La valeur n’attend pas le nombre des années._”
CORNEILLE, _Cid_, ii. 2.

= Really brave men show their valour when quite young.

Valoir

_Cela vaut fait_ = That is as good as done.

_Vaut bien que mal_ = _Vaille que vaille_ = At all events; For
better, for worse.

_Il se fait trop valoir_ = He brags too much.

Veine

_Je suis en veine de le faire_ = I am just in the humour to do it.

_J’ai de la veine_ (pop.) = I am in luck.

Velours

_Faire patte de velours_ = To speak smoothly; To draw in one’s
claws.

*_Habit de velours, ventre de son_ = Silks and satins put out the
kitchen fire.

[Compare:

“Dress drains our cellar dry,
And keeps our larder lean.”
COWPER, _Task_, ii. 614.

An old French dicton says:

“Ne sois paon en ton parer,
Ny perroquet en ton parler,
Ny cicogne en ton manger,
Ny oye aussi en ton marcher.”]

Vendre

*_Chose qui plaît est à moitié vendue_ = Good wares make quick
market; Please the eye and fill the purse.

[“Chose qui plaist est à demy vendue.”--CHARLES D’ORLÉANS,
_Rondeau_ 194.]

Venir

*_Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre_ = Everything comes to
the man who waits.

[The older form of the proverb omitted _à_; for _qui_ = _si on_.]

_C’est un beau venir y voir_ = A pretty sight indeed!

_Où voulez-vous en venir?_ = What are you driving at? What is
your drift?

_Il se vante d’en venir à bout_ = He says he is sure to succeed.

Vent

_Il fait un vent à décorner_ (or, _écorner_) _un bœuf_ = There is
a wind enough to blow one’s head off.

_Autant en emporte le vent_ = That is but so much breath spent in
vain; It is not of the slightest consequence.

*_Vent au visage rend un homme sage_ = Adversity makes a man
wise, not rich.

_Celui qui sème le vent récolte la tempête_ = He who sows the
wind reaps the whirlwind; Those who live in glass houses should
not throw stones.

Ventre

*_Ventre affamé prend tout en gré_ =

“They that have no other meat,
Bread and butter are glad to eat.”

*_Ventre affamé n’a point d’oreilles_ = A hungry man will not
listen to reason; A hungry man is an angry man.

_Cela lui remet du cœur au ventre_ (fam.) = That gives him
courage again.

_Savoir ce que quelqu’un a dans le ventre_ (fam.) = To know what
a person is worth, what he thinks; To know the stuff a man is
made of.

_Il n’a pas trois mois dans le ventre_ (fam.) = He cannot live
three months.

_Le cheval courait ventre à terre_ = The horse was running as
hard as he could tear.

_Il était à plat ventre_ = He was flat on his face.

Ver

_Nu comme un ver_ = Stark naked; As naked as when one was born.

Vérité

*_On dit souvent la vérité en riant_ = There is many a true word
spoken in jest.

_Toute vérité n’est pas bonne à dire_ = All truths are not to be
spoken at all times.

_La vérité comme l’huile vient au-dessus_ = Truth will out; It
takes a good many shovelfuls of earth to bury the Truth.

[The Spaniards say: La verdad es hija de Dios = Truth is the
daughter of God.]

_C’est une vérité de Monsieur de la Palisse_ = It is an evident
truth.

[M. de la Palisse is the hero of a lengthy poem, one of the
verses of which runs as follows:

“M. de la Palisse est mort
Mort de maladie
Un quart d’heure avant sa mort
Il était encore en vie.”]

Verrier

_Il court comme un verrier déchargé_ = He runs like a
lamplighter. (See _Chat_.)

[Glaziers, when carrying glass, have to walk carefully and
slowly. When they have got rid of their load they make up for
lost time.]

Vers

“_Les plus beaux vers sont ceux qu’on ne peut pas
écrire._”--(LAMARTINE, _Voyage en Orient_) =
“Ah! the best prayers that faith may ever think
Are untranslatable by pen and ink.”
Bishop ALEXANDER.

Vert

_Vous ne le prendrez pas sans vert_ = You will not catch him
napping.

[An old game that used to be played in May was for two people to
undertake to be able always to show a green twig: failure to do
so lost the game.]

_Une verte vieillesse_ = A hale old age.

_Ils sont trop verts_ = The grapes are sour.
[LA FONTAINE, _Le Renard et les Raisins_, iii. 11.]

_Mettre un cheval au vert_ = To send a horse to grass.

Vessie

_Il veut nous faire prendre des vessies pour des lanternes_ = He
wishes us to believe the moon is made of green cheese.

[“Me voulez vous faire entendant
De vecies que ce sont lanternes?”
_Maistre Pierre Pathelin_, 800.]

Vie

_Faire vie qui dure_ = To live temperately; To husband one’s
resources.

_Avoir la vie dure_ = 1. To have a hard time. 2. To have nine
lives.

Vieux

_Vieux comme les rues, comme le monde_ = As old as the hills.

_C’est un homme de la vieille roche_ = He is a man of the old
school; he belongs to the good old stock.

_Un vieux de la vieille_ = A veteran of the old Imperial Guard;
One of the old brigade.

_Vieil ami et vieux vin sont vraiment deux bons vieux, mais vieux
écus sont encore mieux_ = Old friends and old wine are good, but
old gold is better than both.

[“Alonzo of Arragon was wont to say in commendation of Age, that
Age appeared to be best in four things: Old wood best to burn,
old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to
read.”--BACON, _Apophthegms_, 101.]

Vif

_Trancher_ (or, _couper_) _dans le vif_ = (lit.) To cut to the
quick; (fig.) To set to work in earnest.

_Ce reproche l’a piqué au vif_ = That reproach stung him to the
quick.

_Il est vif comme la poudre_ = 1. He is quick-tempered. 2. He is
bustling, quick at work.

_De vive voix_ = By word of mouth; Orally.

_Ce sont des descriptions prises sur le vif_ = Those descriptions
are life-like.

_Les paysans dans ce tableau sont pris sur le vif_ = The peasants
in that picture are life-like.

Vigne

_Il est dans les vignes du Seigneur_ = He is in his cups.

Vin

_Du vin à faire danser les chèvres_ = Sour wine not fit to drink.

*_À bon vin point d’enseigne_ = Good wine needs no bush.

[It was a Roman custom to hang out a branch of ivy at the doors
of taverns in honour of Bacchus. Branches of green stuff may
still be seen at the doors of wineshops along the Loire and in
Burgundy. Kelly traces the word “bosky” (_i.e._ drunk) to this
bush.]

_Être entre deux vins_ = To be half seas over (pop.).

*_Le vin entre, la raison sort_ = When ale is in, wit is out.

_On ne connaît pas le vin aux cercles_ = You can’t judge cigars
by the picture on the box.

_Tremper son vin_ = To water one’s wine.

[_Tremper_ = _tempérer_, not to wet, but to moderate.]

_Vous mouillez trop votre vin_ = You are drowning the miller.

Violent

_Cela est un peu violent_ = That is too bad.

Violon

_Payer les violons_ = To pay the piper.

Visière

_Je lui ai rompu en visière_ = I attacked (_or_, contradicted)
him openly.

[“Je n’y puis plus tenir, j’enrage; et mon dessein
Est de rompre en visière à tout le genre humain.”
MOLIÈRE, _Le Misanthrope_, i. 1.

Literally the phrase means: to break one’s lance against the
visor of one’s enemy.]

Vite

_Plus vite que ça_ (fam.) = Look sharp about it.

Vivre

_Je n’ai pas trouvé âme qui vive_ = I did not find a soul.

*_Qui vivra verra_ = He who lives longest will see most; Time
will show (tell).

_Monsieur vit de ses rentes_ = The gentleman is independent
(_i.e._ has an income of his own).

_Apprendre à vivre_ = To learn manners.

_Je lui apprendrai à vivre_ = I will teach him better manners (as
a threat).

_Comme c’est vécu!_ = How true to life!

Voie

_Ils en sont venus aux voies de fait_ = They came to blows.

_Il est toujours par voies et par chemins_ = He is always on the
move, rambling.

_Les affaires sont en voie de hausse_ = Things are looking up.

_Être sur la voie_ = To be on the scent.

_Je suis en voie de le finir_ = I am in a fair way to finish it.

Voilà

_Comme le voilà sale!_ = Just see how dirty he is!

_Ne voilà-t-il pas qu’il est revenu_ = Who should come back but
he?

_Voilà comme vous êtes_ = That is just like you.

_Voilà comme je suis_ = You must take me as I am; That’s my way.

Voir

_On n’y voit goutte_ = One can see nothing.

_J’y vois trouble_ = I see dimly; My sight is dim.

_Vous n’avez rien à y voir_ = That is no business of yours.

_Au vu et au su de tout le village_ = Openly, before the whole
village.

_Je vous vois venir_ = I see what you are driving at.

_J’ai voulu voir par moi-même_ = I wish to see with my own eyes.

_Il nous en a fait voir de toutes les couleurs_ = He told us all
sorts of tales; He worried us beyond all bearing.

Voix

_Je n’ai pas voix au chapitre_ = (lit.) I have no right to speak;
(fig.) My opinion is not listened to.

Volée

_Il a obtenu cela entre bond et volée_ = He obtained that at a
lucky moment.

_À toute volée_ = At random; At full swing.

_Il est de la haute volée_ = He is a tip-top swell, of the first
water, of the upper ten.

Voler (to fly)

_On pouvait entendre voler une mouche_ = One could hear a pin
drop.

Voler (to steal)

*_Il ne l’a pas volé_ = He richly deserves it.

Voleur

*_Quand les voleurs se battent, les larcins se découvrent_ = When
thieves fall out, honest men get their own.

Volonté

*_La bonne volonté est reputée pour le fait_ = The will is as
good as (is taken for) the deed.

Vôtre

_Je serai des vôtres_ = I shall be one of your party; I shall be
on your side.

_Vous avez fait des vôtres_ = You have committed follies
yourself; You have played pranks too.

Vouer

_Je ne sais à quel saint me vouer_ = I do not know which way to
turn.

Vouloir

*_Vouloir c’est pouvoir_ = Where there’s a will there’s a way.

[Also: _La volonté rend tout possible._

“Impossible est un mot que je ne dis jamais.”--COLLIN
D’HARLEVILLE, _Malice pour Malice_, i. 8.

Napoléon I., in a letter to Lemarois, 9th July 1813, wrote: “Ce
n’est pas possible, m’écrivez vous, cela n’est pas Français.”

“Mirabeau disait un jour à son secrétaire: ‘Impossible! ne me
dites jamais ce bête de mot.’”--DUMONT, _Vie de Mirabeau_, quoted
in Carlyle’s _French Revolution_, vol. ii. p. 118.]

_Que voulez-vous?_ = 1. What do you want? What can I do for you?
2. What was to be done? 3. What can you expect?

_Vous l’avez voulu!_ = It is your own fault; You would have it.

[“Vous l’avez voulu, George Dandin!”
MOLIÈRE, _George Dandin_, i. 9.]

_On ne peut lui en vouloir_ = One cannot be angry with him, blame
him.

_En veux-tu? en voilà!_ = As much as ever you like.

_Il y en avait à bouche que veux-tu_ = There was an abundant
supply of it; There was plenty for every one.

_Il sait ce que parler veut dire_ = He understands the hidden
meaning; He takes the hint.

_Je le veux bien_ = With pleasure! I have no objection.

Vrai

*“_Le vrai peut quelquefois n’être pas vraisemblable_” = Truth is
stranger than fiction.
[BOILEAU, _Art Poétique_, iii. 48.]

Z.

Zèle

_Surtout, messieurs, pas de zèle!_ = Above all, gentlemen, don’t
be too anxious! Don’t try to hurry things on.

[Words attributed to Talleyrand on receiving the staff of the
Ministère des Affaires Étrangères.]

“_Trop gratter cuit,
Trop parler nuit,
Trop manger n’est pas sage.
A barbon gris
Jeune souris:
L’Amour est de tout âge.
Enfants de Paris, quel temps fait-il?
Il pleut là-bas, il neige ici
Pendant la nuit
Tous chats sont gris.
Pour faire route sûre
Si l’amour va
Cahin-caha
Ménage ta monture._”

CHARLES COLLÉ (1709-1783).

INDEX

INDEX OF ENGLISH PROVERBS

A

Absents always wrong, 2

Ace, within an, 220

Adam delved and Eve span, when, 123, 219

Adversity makes man wise, 229

Against the grain, 201

Akimbo, to put one’s arms, 17

Ale is in, wit is out, 232

All is not gold that glitters, 49

All men are not alike, 114

All’s well that ends well, 124, 172

All work and no play, 220

Almost and very nigh, 160

Ambush, 8

Among the blind, one-eyed is king, 44

And the rest! 170

Answer a fool according to his folly, 214

Appearances, for the sake of, 17

Appetite, good, 18

April fool, 191

Arm in arm, 47

As you make your bed, 41, 81

At first sight, 2

Average, on an, 15, 129

Awkward fix, to get out of an, 180

B

Background, to put in, 188

Back made for burden, 181

Bad day, bad night, 75

Bad thing never dies, 152

Bag and baggage, 106

Band-box, come out of a, 110

Bark worse than bite, 69

Bay, to be at, 2

Beak and claw, 173

Beat about the bush, to, 24, 33, 65, 193

Beat black and blue, 84, 99

Beat hollow, to, 86

Bedlam let loose, 207

Bee in one’s bonnet, 19

Beer, no small, of oneself, 167

Beggars cannot be choosers, 106

Beginning not everything, 74

Behind the scenes, 55

Bell the cat, to, 22, 137

Best cheapest in the end, 158

Best of friends must part, 75

Be the day short, 147

Better dry bread at home, 38

Better late than never, 218

Better the day, better the deed, 42, 148

Between devil and deep sea, 107

Between ourselves, 198

Between two stools, 63

B from a bull’s foot, not to know, 1

Bigwig, 43

Billingsgate, 140

Bird fouls its own nest, an ill, 169

Bird in hand, 220

Birds flown, to find the, 51, 169

Birds of a feather, 22, 140

Bird that catches the worm, 150, 203

Bird told me so, a little, 99

Bit by bit, 9

Biter bit, the, 139, 149

Black eyes, a couple of, 170

Blood from a stone, to get, 67

Blow brains out, 50, 58, 209

Blues, to have the, 169

Boat, to be in same, 108

Bone to pick, to have a, 154

Bore, 201

Born to be hanged, never drowned, 94

Borrowing sorrowing, 21

Bow to circumstances, 32, 50

Boycott, to, 144

Boys will be boys, 147

Brand new, 33

Bread is buttered, which side, 176

Bred in the bone, what is, 54, 63

Broken reed, 19

Broom sweeps clean, a new, 30, 96

Bull by the horns, to seize the, 22

Burn candle at both ends, 60

Burnt child dreads the fire, 63

Business, to mind one’s own, 5

Business is business, 7

Butter would not melt in mouth, 169

Bygones be bygones, to let, 174, 198