“Se faire rouler dans la farine” is one of my all time favorite French expressions. The expression translates literally to “to get rolled in flour” but the real. Here are the English meanings:
- to get ripped off
- to get taken to the cleaners
- to be taken for ride
- to pull the wool over someone’s eyes
In France, the idiom is shortened to “se faire rouler” to mean to get ripped off. The expression can also be said as “rouler quelqu’un dans la farine”, or to rip somebody off.
According to expressio.fr, French-to-French traditions are simply to dupe or lie to somebody. The site suggests that actors in 19th century used to use flour as makeup and would dupe people with their identities.
example sentence:
- J’ai trop payé pour cette bagnole pourrie. Je me suis fait roulé dans la farine! I payed too much for this piece of junk car. I got ripped off!
Suggested audio French courses from Frenchtoday.com
David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.
Latest posts by David Issokson (see all)
- French Songs: 18 Top French Hits You’ll Love - June 1, 2023
- French appetizers: 20 Hors d’oeuvres You Will Love - May 26, 2023
- 20 Most Famous French Women In History - May 16, 2023
Bonjour! My name is David Issokson. I'm based in Victor, Idaho (near Jackson, Wyoming) and have helped hundreds of students to learn French online since 2013.
