Burkina Faso
laisser tomber
“to let fall”
Meaning
to slip an official a bribe to get something done quickly
Elsewhere
graisser la patte
Explanation
Elsewhere laisser tomber means to drop something, or to give up on it entirely. In Burkina Faso it can also mean slipping a civil servant something extra so the paperwork moves along.
Example
Il a fallu laisser tomber quelque chose au guichetier pour avoir le papier le jour même.
We had to slip the clerk something to get the paper the same day.
Origin
Origin uncertain.
More like this
- article quinzefend for yourself by any means necessary
- avoir des oursins dans la pocheto be stingy
- avoir du bléto have money
- avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurreto want two incompatible things at once
- avoir les dents longuesto be ruthless about getting ahead
- avoir maille à partirto be in an ongoing dispute with someone