Francophonie· medium
boire la tasse
“to drink the cup”
Meaning
to accidentally swallow a mouthful of water while swimming
Explanation
Said of getting a mouthful of seawater or pool water when a wave or a dunking catches you off guard.
Example
Une grosse vague m'a surpris et j'ai bu la tasse devant tout le monde.
A big wave caught me off guard and I swallowed a mouthful of water in front of everyone.
Origin
Goes back to the late 18th century as a variant of "boire la grande tasse" or "boire un bouillon", which first meant to fail at something. That figurative sense has since faded, and only the literal, water-swallowing meaning is still in everyday use.
Source
More like this
- arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupeTo turn up at the worst possible moment
- avaler des couleuvresTo put up with insults without complaining
- avoir bon dosTo serve as a convenient excuse for someone else's failings
- avoir d'autres chats à fouetterto have more important things to do
- avoir de la bouteilleTo have plenty of experience
- avoir du bléto have money