Francophonie· easy

casser les pieds

to break the feet

Meaning

to annoy someone

Explanation

This popular expression means to get on someone's nerves or to bother them.

Example

Tu me casses les pieds avec tes questions!

You're getting on my nerves with your questions!

Origin

19th century. 'Casser' here meant 'écraser' (stepping on), which is predictably annoying. French has a whole pattern of 'breaking' body parts to express irritation, like 'casser les oreilles' (to break the ears).

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