The French expression “tenir la jambe à quelqu’un” translates literally to “to hold somebody’s leg”.
English meanings:
- to buttonhole
- to accost, force to converse
- to have somebody in a corner
- to not let somebody go (in conversation)
French meanings:
- retenir quelqu’un en lui parlant longtemps – Lit: to hold or detain somebody speaking to him or her for a long time
Example sentence:
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- Je suis arrivé à la réunion en retard parce que j’ai croisé mon ami dans la rue et il m’a tenu la jambe. I arrived to the meeting late because I bumped into my friend in the street and wouldn’t let me go.
Synonyms:
- aborder/accoster quelqu’un au sujet de quelque chose – Lit: to start or accost somebody on a subject
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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.
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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.
