“C’est la fin des haricots” is a French expression that translates literally to “that’s the last straw”. English meanings include:
- that’s the last straw
- game over!
In the historical context, beans were a staple food which the masses depended on. When they ran out, disaster ensued.
Here’s an example sentence:
On a tout essayé pour démarrer la voiture. Apres une heure on s’est dit: “c’est la fin des haricots”. We tried everything to start the car. After one hour we said, “that’sthe last straw.”
French has another great synonomous expression for the last straw:
- la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase – Literally “the drop of the water that makes the vase overflow”.
more French expressions
