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FRENCH WORD OF THE DAY

French Expression of the Day: Mouton à cinq pattes

This French expression is, surprisingly, a very nice compliment.

Published: 10 September 2024 10:37 CEST

French Expression of the Day: Mouton à cinq pattes

Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Why do I need to know mouton à cinq pattes?

Because you might be confused why the French want a five-legged sheep.

What does it mean?

Mouton à cinq pattes – roughly pronounced moo-ton ah sank pat – technically translates as ‘sheep with five legs’.

Basically, the expression means something out of the ordinary or difficult to find, and it can be used for both objects and people.

The idea is that sheep don’t usually have five legs, so it would be unlikely that you encounter one.

When used to describe an object, a mouton à cinq pattes would be something rare or unique, like hidden treasure.

As for people, a person referred to this way would be exceptional in some way. In English, they might be referred to as a ‘pearl’ or a ‘gem’.

The expression was made popular by the 1954 film by Henri Verneuil, which bears the same name.

Usually the phrase carries a positive connotation, but sometimes it can be used sarcastically to describe something that is out of reach or hard to locate.

For example, the French press used it to joke about president Emmanuel Macron’s long search for the perfect prime minister during the summer of 2024.

Use it like this

Après plusieurs semaines, il est clair que le président cherche le mouton à cinq pattes pour Matignon. – After several weeks, it is clear the President is searching in vain for a perfect person to be prime minister.

Le nouveau directeur est un véritable mouton à cinq pattes. Nous l’adorons et ne pouvons imaginer une meilleure option. – The new director is a real gem. We love him and can’t imagine a better option.

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French Phrase of the Day: Faire sa toilette

Why do I need to know faire sa toilette?

Because this expression might come up when discussing your pet’s daily habits.

What does it mean?

Faire sa toilette – roughly pronounced fair sah twa-let – translates as ‘to do one’s toilet’.

In reality, it does not have to do with urinating, but rather it means to ‘wash with water and soap’ or clean/groom/preen yourself.

This meaning may ring a bell for those familiar with old-fashioned English phrase ‘to be at one’s toilette’ – which can found in novels by authors ranging from Jane Austen to Agatha Christie.

Although the English phrase has largely fallen out of use, the French expression – sometimes shortened to faire toilette – is still used, though it is a bit traditional, and thus more likely to be used by older people.

Instead, you might hear people use se laver (to wash) or prendre une douche (to take a shower).

As for the origins of the expression, we can look to the original meaning of the word toilette (which eventually led to the English word ‘toilet’).

In the mid-16th century, a toilette was a ‘cloth or wrapper’, initially used as a “cloth cover for a dressing table”. Later, it went on to refer to washing oneself, and by the 19th century it referred to a dressing room or washing area.

These days you are most likely to hear faire sa toilette when referring to animals (particularly cats) grooming or cleaning themselves.

Similarly, the expression toilettage means ‘grooming’ for cats and dogs, so if you want to have your animals’ fur professionally brushed or trimmed, then you would pay for a toilettage.

This comes from the verb toiletter, which nowadays is used when discussing the cleaning or brushing of domestic animals. It has a second, colloquial meaning too. You might see toiletter used when discussing a slight modification to a law or legislative text.

Use it like this

Maman doit faire sa toilette avant l’arrivée des invités. – Mum needs to freshen up before the guests arrive.

Le chat fait sa toilette tous les matins. – The cat grooms himself every morning.

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