Learning French

Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

What is the meaning of this mystery football phrase?

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Published Monday 06 July 2026 - 17:00 Modified Wednesday 08 July 2026 - 17:00

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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.

French-speakers use this football-themed expression when a striker perfectly places a shot in the top corner of the goal.

Can you guess the French phrase?

Click to show answer

A) Nettoyer la lucarne. This literally translates as: to clean the top corner.

Take a look at our handy language guide to find out exactly what this idiom means alongside even more expressions ahead of the World Cup final.

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