French Expression of the Day: Avoir des oursins dans les poches
This painful-sounding French expression is both comic, poetic and useful. Stick it in your phrasebook!
Why do I need to know avoir un oursin dans sa poche?
Because we all know someone with short arms and deep pockets.
What does it mean?
Literally, avoir un oursin dans sa poche (roughly pronounced "av-wah un or-san don sah posh"), means "to have a sea urchin in your pocket".
It is used to describe someone who is unwilling to spend money - particularly on others. The idea is that if you had a spiky sea urchin in your pocket, you would be unlikely to reach inside to take out your wallet.
It is unclear exactly where the expression comes from.
Sea urchins are also known by two other charming names in French: hérisson de mer (sea hedgehog) and châtaigne de mer (sea chestnut)
Use it like this
Michel ne m'a pas acheté de cadeau de Noël. Il a des oursins dans les poches - Michel did not buy me a Christmas present. He is stingy.
Tu n'as jamais payé ta tournée au bar. Tu as des oursins dans les poches. - You never paid your round at the bar. You are tight with money.
Synonyms
Être avare
Être une pince
Être pingre
Comments (1)
See Also
Why do I need to know avoir un oursin dans sa poche?
Because we all know someone with short arms and deep pockets.
What does it mean?
Literally, avoir un oursin dans sa poche (roughly pronounced "av-wah un or-san don sah posh"), means "to have a sea urchin in your pocket".
It is used to describe someone who is unwilling to spend money - particularly on others. The idea is that if you had a spiky sea urchin in your pocket, you would be unlikely to reach inside to take out your wallet.
It is unclear exactly where the expression comes from.
Sea urchins are also known by two other charming names in French: hérisson de mer (sea hedgehog) and châtaigne de mer (sea chestnut)
Use it like this
Michel ne m'a pas acheté de cadeau de Noël. Il a des oursins dans les poches - Michel did not buy me a Christmas present. He is stingy.
Tu n'as jamais payé ta tournée au bar. Tu as des oursins dans les poches. - You never paid your round at the bar. You are tight with money.
Synonyms
Être avare
Être une pince
Être pingre
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