Francophonie· medium· informal
se mettre en quatre
“to put oneself into four”
Meaning
to go to great lengths to help
Explanation
This expression means to bend over backwards for someone or to do everything you can to help.
Example
Elle s'est mise en quatre pour que la fête soit parfaite.
She went above and beyond to make the party perfect.
Origin
First recorded in Antoine Oudin's 'Curiositez françoises' (1640) as 'il se mettroit en quatre pour luy', he would do anything for him. The earlier form was 'se mettre en quatre quartiers,' possibly alluding to the effort of an executioner performing a quartering.
Source
More like this
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