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avoir un Polichinelle dans le tiroir

The French expression “avoir un Polichinelle dans le tiroir” translates literally to “to have a puppet or marionette in the drawer”. The English meaning logically follows:

  • To have a bun in the oven (to be pregnant)

A French meaning is “enceinte”, which means pregnant. Here’s an example sentence:

Marie est tellement heureuse récemment: elle a un Polichinelle dans le tiroir et elle passe sont temps à préparer la chambre du bébé. Marie has been so happy lately. She has a bun in the oven and has been spending time preparing the baby’s bedroom.

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David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on FrenchLearner, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.

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