Switzerland· medium· informal
il n'y a pas le feu au lac
“there is no fire at the lake”
Meaning
there is no rush
Explanation
This Swiss French expression means there is no urgency, take your time, nothing is pressing.
Example
On peut finir ça demain, il n'y a pas le feu au lac.
We can finish this tomorrow, there's no rush.
Origin
A reinforcement of the standard French 'il n'y a pas le feu,' with 'au lac' referring to Lake Geneva (Lac Léman). The idea is that as long as the lake hasn't caught fire, nothing truly urgent is happening. Attested in Vaud and Neuchâtel dialects in the mid 1840s.
Where
Suisse romande
Source
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