Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Discover this mystery sponge-themed French saying

LightField Studios/Shutterstock

Published Thursday 18 September 2025 - 09:25 Modified Wednesday 01 October 2025 - 15:14

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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 sponge, illustrates an expression that you might use when acknowledging defeat.

Can you guess the French phrase?

Click to show answer

A) Jeter l'éponge (literally: to throw the sponge)

Take a look at our handy language guide to find out exactly what this idiom means, how to use it and discover some more fruity expressions.

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Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

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Can you guess the French phrase?

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