Learning French

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Discover this mystery wood-themed French saying

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Published Thursday 19 February 2026 - 07:00 Modified Wednesday 16 September 2026 - 14:14

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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 refers to someone who is talking without really saying anything and who is unable or unwilling to address a specific question. It is similar to the idea of ‘waffling’ or ‘stonewalling’ in English.

Can you guess the French phrase?

Click to show answer

A) La langue de bois. It is unclear how the French expression originally interpreted the use of 'langue'. It could either be literally translated as: wooden tongue, or the wooden language. The phrase is not to be confused with gueule de bois (wooden mouth), which refers to having a hangover.

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Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

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Can you guess the French phrase?

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