donner sa langue au chat

French

FWOTD – 8 August 2017

Etymology

Literally, “to give one's tongue to the cat”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɔ.ne sa lɑ̃.ɡ‿o ʃa/

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

donner sa langue au chat

1. (informal) to give up trying to guess something, e.g. the answer to a riddle
   • 2001, Benoît Peeters, Omnibus, page 67:

     – Eh bien non, je ne vois pas.
     – Vous donnez votre langue au chat alors, un seul mot pourtant.
     – Oui c’est ça si vous voulez. Je donne ma langue au chat.

     "No, I don't get it."
     "You give up then? It's only one word, though."
     "Yes, I do. I give up."

Conjugation

• see donner

See also

• laisser tomber
• s’avouer vaincu