-
Seven useful informal French expressions you don’t learn at school
These words will add colour to your spoken French
-
‘Je n’en reviens pas!’: How to use the verb venir in everyday French
Columnist Annaliza Davis looks at the surprising versatility of venir and why it might confuse English-speakers
-
Meet France's great garden acrobat
With its bright yellow and blue plumage, the Eurasian blue tit is easy to spot in the garden.
‘Le moral dans les chaussettes’ - French phrase for when you feel down
We explore this useful expression that describes low spirits
Word for word, avoir le moral dans les chaussettes means to have morale in your socks.
This 20th century expression brings to mind a vertical scale of happiness running from high to low.
If you’re feeling good, your mood is located towards the top of the scale and you could be said to avoir le moral – or to be in high spirits.
At the opposite end of the scale are the socks on your feet; the closest you can possibly get to the ground.
Read more: Covid France and mental health: 4 platforms with support in English
Read more: Mental health appointments to be made more affordable in France
Far from feeling positive, to avoir le moral dans les chaussettes means that you are down in the dumps, or in low spirits.
In English we might even say our morale has hit ‘rock bottom’.
This kind of feeling can be brought on by bad luck, bad news, or disappointment.
Related articles
‘Casse-tête’: this French phrase is a conundrum or head-scratcher
‘Usine à gaz’: this French phrase describes a big, complicated system
‘Montrer patte blanche’: French fairytale phrase for trustworthiness