The French expression “être tiré à quatre épingles” to be pulled by four pins”. English meanings include:
- to be all dressed up
- to be dressed to the nines
The idea is that when clothes are stretched by pins one looks very sharp. A French definition “être vêtu avec un soin méticuleux”, to be dressed with meticulous care.
Here’s an example sentence:
- Marc est arrivé a son mariage tiré à quatre épingles: Il était vêtu en constume traditionel japaonais. Tous les invités étaient tellement impressionnés par son costume! Marc arrived at his marriage all dressed up in a traditional Japanese suit. All the guests were so impressed by his suit!
There’s a synonymous expression:
- se mettre sur son trente et un – to put on your 31
