Francophonie· medium· informal
être dans les choux
“to be in the cabbages”
Meaning
To be in a difficult situation
Explanation
This expression means to fail or find oneself in a bad situation.
Example
J'ai raté mon examen, je suis vraiment dans les choux.
I failed my exam, I'm really in trouble.
Origin
First recorded in 1881. Probably a play on how 'choux' sounds like 'échouer' (to fail). Cabbage was also seen as a lowly vegetable at the time.
Source
More like this
- arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupeTo turn up at the worst possible moment
- avoir de la bouteilleTo have plenty of experience
- avoir du bléto have money
- avoir du pain sur la plancheTo have a lot of work still to do
- avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventreTo take on more than one can handle
- courir sur le haricot à quelqu'unto get on someone's nerves