clouer le bec à quelqu’un

The French expression “clouer le bec à quelqu’un” translates literally to “to nail somebody’s mouth.

English meaning:

  • to shut somebody up

French meaning:

  • faire taire quelqu’un – to shut somebody up

Example sentence:

  • Il n’arrêtait pas de se plaindre alors je lui ai cloue le bec ! He wouldn’t stop complaining so I shut him up!

Related expressions:

  • fermer la gueule de quelqu’unto shut somebody up
  • ferme-la ! shut up!

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