The French expression “jeter de la poudre aux yeux de quelqu’un” translates literally to “to throw powder into somebody’s eyes”. Here are some English meanings:
- to try to impress somebody
French meanings include “écran de fumée, illusion” (a smokescreen, an illusion) and “apparences flatteuses, mais trompeuses.” (flattering but misleading appearances.
As a noun, “poudre aux yeux” translates to smoke and mirrors.
Here’s an example sentence:
Il a jeté de la poudre aux yeux de tout le monde en portant un costume avec une cravatte pour donner l’impression d’être accompli. Mais hélas, les gens savaient bien que ce n’etait qu’une illusion! He tried to impress everybody by wearing a suit and tie to give the impression of being successful. But, everybody knew it was just an illusion!
