Les carottes sont cuites is a French expression that translates literally to “the carrrots are cooked” and means “it’s all over” or “the chips are down”. A French definition is c’est fichu, meaning it’s ruined or wrecked.
Expression origin
The expression les carottes sont cuites dates back to the 17th century when poor people ate only carrots with their meat. The cooked carrots were linked to death with the meat being a dead animal. Hence, cooked carrots came to symbolize the loss of hope.
Example sentence
Il était très tard la nuit des élections. Notre candidat a remporté les élections par une victoire écrasante. Les carrotes étaient cuites.
It was very late on the night of the elections. Our candidate won by a landslide. It was all over.
Related lessons
Reference
French expressions | Lessons by David Issokson
