donner sa langue au chat
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French
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Literally, “to give one's tongue to the cat”.
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]- (informal) to give up trying to guess something, e.g. the answer to a riddle
- 2001, Benoît Peeters, Omnibus, page 67:
- – Eh bien non, je ne vois pas.
– Vous donnez votre langue au chat alors, un seul mot pourtant.
– Oui c’est ça si vous voulez. Je donne ma langue au chat.- "No, I don't get it."
"You give up then? It's only one word, though."
"Yes, I do. I give up."
- "No, I don't get it."
Conjugation
[edit]- see donner