Learning French

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Discover this mystery arm-themed French saying

Shutterstock, generated by AI

Published Sunday 19 April 2026 - 07:00 Modified Thursday 20 August 2026 - 16:43

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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 can be used to refer to arm wrestling, but can also describe a power struggle in diplomatic or political contexts.

Can you guess the French phrase?

Click to show answer

A) Un bras de fer. This literally translates as: an iron arm

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Take a look at our handy language guide to find out about this idiom and discover even more common media terms heard in France.

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