Francophonie· easy

faire grise mine

to make a grey face

Meaning

to put on a gloomy, sulky expression

Explanation

Used when someone's face gives away that they're unhappy or put out about something.

Example

Il a fait grise mine en apprenant qu'il devait travailler ce week-end.

He pulled a face when he found out he had to work this weekend.

Origin

"Mine" is an old word for someone's facial expression, and grey had long stood for sadness and gloom in figurative French, much as it does in English.

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