Francophonie· medium· informal
se faire rouler dans la farine
“to get rolled in flour”
Meaning
To be deceived
Explanation
This expression means to be duped or deceived by someone using false arguments or smooth talk.
Example
Il s'est fait rouler dans la farine par ce vendeur malhonnête.
He got scammed by that dishonest salesman.
Origin
19th century. Nobody's sure exactly why flour means deception here. It might refer to actors powdering their faces to play different roles, or to bakers who cut their flour with cheaper stuff.
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