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mettre la puce à l’oreille de quelqu’un

The French expression “mettre la puce à l’oreille de quelqu’un” translates literally to “to put the flea in somebody’s ear”.

English meaning:

  • to plant an idea in somebody’s mind
  • to get somebody thinking

French meaning:

  • faire se douter de qqch to make somebody suspect something
  • éveiller l’attention ou méfiance  to arouse attention or suspicion

Example sentence:

  • Il m’a mis la puce a l’oreille quand il a commencé à parler d’une maison. Je savais qu’il voulait se marier. He got me thinking when he started talking about a house. I knew he wanted to get married.

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David Issokson

David Issokson is the founder and French teacher of Frenchlearner.com. With over 30 years of experience as a French learner and speaker, he is passionate about making the language accessible and enjoyable for everyone. David is dedicated to providing clear, practical, and effective resources to help you master French. Learn more about FrenchLearner on our about us page. Visit davidissokson.com, David's personal website.

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