/tɔ̃be dɑ̃ le pɔm/ lit. ‘fall in the apples’
French idiom, familiar. To faint or pass out.
Draft Not yet checked by a native French speaker.
How do people use Tomber dans les pommes
?
The everyday familiar way to say someone fainted, used by everyone from kids to doctors chatting off duty. It takes “être” in the past: “elle est tombée dans les pommes”. It’s also used loosely for “I nearly died” moments: “j’ai failli tomber dans les pommes” when you see the bill.
Also said partir dans les pommes
Tomber dans les pommes
in real sentences
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Elle est tombée dans les pommes.
She fainted.
Tatoeba, sentence by nimfeo, translation by CM, CC BY 2.0 FR
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J’ai failli tomber dans les pommes.
I almost passed out.
Tatoeba, sentence by zmoo, translation by belgavox, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Tomber dans les pommes
come from?
Nobody knows for sure. French Wiktionary suggests it grew from “être dans les pommes cuites” (to be in the cooked apples, meaning worn out), found in George Sand, itself a joke on “être cuit” (to be done for). In the 1930s the linguist Albert Dauzat proposed a garbled “dans les pâmes” (from pâmoison, swoon), but that form has left no trace in writing.
Mistakes learners make with Tomber dans les pommes
Using “avoir” in the past tense: “j’ai tombé dans les pommes” is wrong, because “tomber” takes “être” (“je suis tombé dans les pommes”).
Other French idioms like Tomber dans les pommes
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?
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