Francophonie· medium
faire chou blanc
“to make white cabbage”
Meaning
To fail completely at something
Explanation
Coming away from something with absolutely nothing to show for it.
Example
On a cherché partout, mais on a fait chou blanc, impossible de retrouver ses clés.
We looked everywhere but got nowhere, no sign of the keys.
Origin
Started life as 'faire coup blanc' in the game of skittles, a throw that fails to knock anything down. 'Chou' crept in later as a regional pronunciation from Berry, and the cabbage stuck even though it never had anything to do with the original meaning.
Source
More like this
- chou vert et vert chouTwo things presented as different but actually the same
- 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