We say 'take the biscuit', but no one says 'take the cake'.
Have you heard of “idiomatic expressions”? These are figurative expressions specific to French, that are usually not translatable directly, as each language uses its own references! Therefore, you need to learn them directly in the language, as well as learning French equivalents to the ones you use in English! Knowing idiomatic expressions is key when learning a new language and it will definitely help you sound like a true Français 😊
✍️ Today’s French expression is:
“Décrocher le pompon / C’est le pompon !”
Literally: “To take down the tassel”
Figuratively (direct): “To win the lottery/To strike gold”
Figuratively (direct): “To win the lottery/To strike gold”
Figuratively (ironic): To be very foolish – “To take the cake/To take the biscuit”
🎧 Here’s a mini-podcast about it!
Want to learn more about this fun expression, what it means, and hear some in-context examples? Then listen to Aurélie and Céline‘s related mini-podcast below:
🎠 Some context
In France, there’s a tradition on carousels and similar “manèges”: in the middle of the ride, the owner will hang a tassel on a rope above the children and move it around. The goal then is for the children to grab the tassel and unhook it – the child who manages to get the tassel usually wins a free ride!
👀 How about some examples?
To help you commit this expression to memory, here are some useful examples of how to use it in context:
- – Le nouveau copain d’Aline est super sympa !
– Oui, avec lui, elle a vraiment décroché le pompon !
- Si j’obtenais cette promotion, ce serait vraiment le pompon !
- – Oh non ! J’ai oublié les billets de concert sur la table !
– Eh ben, c’est le pompon !
- De toutes les excuses que mon fils a inventées, celle-là décroche le pompon !
🙌 Now is your time to shine!
Challenge yourself to use this expression in a French conversation or piece of writing, and let us know how your French friends reacted to it in the comments 🙂
À toi de jouer !
Author info
Aurélie is our resident French Expert. She has created most of the wonderful content you see on the site and is usually the person answering your tricky help questions. She comes from a small village near Chartres in Central France, country of cereal fields and not much else. She left (in a hurry) to study English at the world-famous Sorbonne in Paris, before leaving France in 2007 to experience the “London lifestyle” - and never looked back! She's worked as a professional French teacher, translator and linguist in the UK since. She loves to share her love of languages and is a self-professed cinema and literature geek!
For over ten years now, Céline has been teaching French and Italian to students of all ages and abilities in the UK. This French native speaker comes from Brittany, and likes crafts, Breton dance (of course!) and Breton music which she actually played for four years. She also has a fondness for European cinema and British History.
Comments: 2
Bonjour Simon,
Thank you for your comment! “To take the cake” is the American English equivalent of “to take the biscuit”. Take a look here: merriam-webste – take the cake
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !