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Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Discover this mystery tree-themed French saying

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Published Monday 17 August 2026 - 07:00 Modified Tuesday 15 September 2026 - 16:09

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The French love using idioms in everyday conversations, however these unique sayings can sound completely bizarre when translated literally into English.

It is useful to understand their figurative meaning to avoid confusion when chatting with locals.

This particular example featuring a palm tree, illustrates an expression that describes someone who causes a disturbance or makes trouble, much like the English phrase: to put the cat among the pigeons.

Can you guess the French phrase?

Click to show answer

A) Secouer le cocotier (literally: to shake the palm tree)

language magazine learning french

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

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Can you guess the French phrase?

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