être la douche écossaise

The French French expression “être la douche écossaise” translates literally to “to be the Scottish shower.

English meanings:

  • to come as quite a shock
  • to be on a roller-coaster, roller-coaster ride

French meanings:

  • alternance de bonnes et mauvaises infosalternating between good and bad news
  • contraster entre agréable, désagréableto contrast between pleasant and unpleasant

Example sentences:

  • Pour moi c’est la douche écossaise : la semaine dernière je cherchais un appartement et cette semaine je loue une maison entière ! I’m on a roller-coaster ride. Last week I was looking for an apartment and this week I’m renting an entire house!
  • C’était la douche écossaise pour Martin. Le mois dernier il était sur le point de se faire licencier, mais cette semaine il a eu une promotion ! It came as a shock for Martin. Last month he was about to get fired and this week he got a promotion!

Related expression:

  • faire un tour en montagne russeto be on a roller-coaster ride (figuratively; “montagne russe” means roller-coaster.

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