Francophonie· medium
avoir le nez creux
“to have a hollow nose”
Meaning
to guess right about what will happen
Explanation
It's about having sharp instincts, being the one who senses how something's going to play out before anyone else does.
Example
Elle a eu le nez creux en achetant cet appartement avant la hausse des prix.
She had good instincts buying that flat before prices went up.
Origin
Goes back to the 17th century. A 'hollow' nose was thought to be better shaped for catching scents, so a good sense of smell became a stand-in for a sharp instinct about what's coming.
Source
More like this
- avoir bon dosTo serve as a convenient excuse for someone else's failings
- avoir le bras longTo have influence
- avoir le cœur sur la mainto be very generous
- avoir le compas dans l’œilTo judge distances and proportions accurately, just by eye
- avoir le diable au corpsto be full of reckless, restless energy
- avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventreTo take on more than one can handle