Avoir d’autres chats à fouetter is a French expression that translates literally to “to have other cats to whip” and means “to have bigger fish to fry” or “to have better things to do”.
Avoir d’autres chats à fouetter
to have bigger fish to fry
Example sentence
Martin ne veut pas gérer les affaires de ses subordonnés. Il a d’autres chats à fouetter.
Martin doesn’t want to manage the business of his subordinates. He has better thinks to do.
Expression origin
This expression dates back to the 17th century expression qu’il n’y avait pas de quoi fouetter un chat (there was nothing to whip a cat about), meaning “there are more important concerns”.
Other French expressions with animals
- Temps de chien – Awful weather
- Avoir un chat dans la gorge – To be hoarse
- Revenons à nos moutons – get back to the topic at hand
- Noyer le poisson – to evade the issue
- Avaler des couleuvres – accept something against your will
- Peigner la girafe – to twiddle your thumbs
- Poser un lapin – To stand somebody up
- Avoir le cafard – to be down in the dumps
Resource
French expressions | Lessons by David Issokson
