c'est le monde à l'envers

French

Etymology

Literally, “that's the world turned upside down”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s‿ɛ l(ə) mɔ̃d a l‿ɑ̃.vɛʁ/

Phrase

c’est le monde à l’envers

1. (informal) the world's turned upside down
   1. it's crazy; it's illogical; it's backward; it doesn't make any sense
      • 2013, Stromae (lyrics and music), “Tous les mêmes”:

        Quoi? Toi aussi tu veux finir maintenant? // C’est le monde à l’envers!

        What? You also want to break up now? // You've got it all wrong!

   2. it's the tail wagging the dog
   3. that's the pot calling the kettle black

      Synonym: c’est l’hôpital qui se moque de la charité

Usage notes

• Can be used in a variety of situations, with various contextual meanings.