The language of Molière never ceases to surprise us. From spelling to grammar including conjugation and vocabulary, French has been enriched over the years, through the generations. According to the France Diplomatie website, it is the 5th language spoken in the world with 321 million speakers.

In learning French, popular expressions have become part of our daily vocabulary. By definition, the expression designates a “way of expressing oneself through language; term or turn of spoken or written language”, according to the Larousse website. From yesterday to today, expressions have evolved over time.

Outdated or original, in strong or popular language, historical or geographical… There is something for everyone. Like “discovering the pot of roses”, “being farted with money”, “thunder of Brest” or “April Fools”. Do you know the origin and meaning of these French expressions? To allow you to enrich your general knowledge, two experts have immersed themselves in the French language.

The novelist Nathalie Gendrot and the humorist Guillaume Meurice have Le fin mot de l’histoire with their eponymous book, published on Wednesday March 1, 2023 by Éditions Flammarion (at a price of 19.90 euros). Through the 366 pages, the authors have deciphered 201 expressions “to impress the gallery”. “This plunge into the history of France makes us discover the origins of these good words with which we juggle every day without thinking about it”, indicate the authors in the presentation of the book.

A publication shared by Éditions Flammarion (@flammarionlivres)

Based on the analysis of the authors of End of the Story, Planet reveals a selection of eight popular expressions to know to shine in society. Here they are in our slideshow.