French idioms about brains

Each French idiom below comes with what its words literally say, what it means and how other languages put the same idea. To see every language at once, open the side-by-side page for brains.

  1. Avoir une araignée au plafond

    lit. ‘have a spider on the ceiling’

    Someone is a bit crazy, or is acting as if they've lost their mind.

  2. Ne pas avoir les yeux en face des trous

    lit. ‘not have your eyes in front of the holes’

    To miss something that is obvious to everyone else.

  3. C’est du chinois

    lit. ‘it’s Chinese’

    I can't understand any of it.

  4. Voir midi à sa porte

    lit. ‘see noon at your own door’

    Someone who only knows their own small world and thinks it's everything.

  5. Someone who feels uncomfortable and out of place in unfamiliar surroundings.

  6. Être dans la lune

    lit. ‘to be in the moon’

    To be lost in thought and not paying attention.

  7. Donner sa langue au chat

    lit. ‘to give your tongue to the cat’

    To have no idea at all.

  8. Mélanger les torchons et les serviettes

    lit. ‘to mix the tea towels and the napkins’

    To compare or mix up two things that don't belong together.

Phrases in bold with a red marker are written up. The rest are waiting for their own page and a check by a native speaker.