French phrase of the day: Mouiller sa chemise
It's a damp shirt, but sadly not in a fun 'wet T-shirt contest' context.
Why do I need to know mouiller sa chemise?
You may be heading back to work soon after the summer break, and need to let the boss know you’re ready to - once again - go that extra mile.
What does it mean?
Mouiller sa chemise - pronounced moyay sa shemeez - means 'wet his shirt' and in this context the dampness comes from sweat, it's when you really put the effort into something.
In English, you might “work like a dog”, “bust a gut”, "put your back into it" or even, “sweat blood” when you're describing working really hard.
The French phrase refers to literally raising a sweat to get a (physical) job done, but just like its English equivalents it can also be used in a metaphorical sense for any task that requires hard work and effort.
It can also indicate taking responsibility for ensuring something gets done.
Use it like this
On peut dire que je mouille ma chemise pour soutenir mes collègues - You could say that I bust a gut to support my colleagues
Comme promis, j'ai mouillé ma chemise - As promised, I really sweated blood on this
Je n'avais encore jamais vu Manu mouiller sa chemise - I've never seen Manu really put his back into something before
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Why do I need to know mouiller sa chemise?
You may be heading back to work soon after the summer break, and need to let the boss know you’re ready to - once again - go that extra mile.
What does it mean?
Mouiller sa chemise - pronounced moyay sa shemeez - means 'wet his shirt' and in this context the dampness comes from sweat, it's when you really put the effort into something.
In English, you might “work like a dog”, “bust a gut”, "put your back into it" or even, “sweat blood” when you're describing working really hard.
The French phrase refers to literally raising a sweat to get a (physical) job done, but just like its English equivalents it can also be used in a metaphorical sense for any task that requires hard work and effort.
It can also indicate taking responsibility for ensuring something gets done.
Use it like this
On peut dire que je mouille ma chemise pour soutenir mes collègues - You could say that I bust a gut to support my colleagues
Comme promis, j'ai mouillé ma chemise - As promised, I really sweated blood on this
Je n'avais encore jamais vu Manu mouiller sa chemise - I've never seen Manu really put his back into something before
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