N.
Reading edition
Nage
Je suis tout en nage = I am in a thorough perspiration; I have not a dry thread on me.
Navette
Faire la navette = To go to and fro between two places several times.
Nèfle
Avoir quelque chose pour des nèfles (fam.) = To buy something for a mere song.
Nerf
Vous me donnez sur les nerfs = You get on my nerves; You rile me (fam.).
Net
Mettez cela au net = Make a fair copy of that.
Il a les mains nettes (fig.) = He is honest; His hands are clean.
Refuser net = To refuse point-blank.
Nez
Il a un pied de nez (fam.) = He pulls a long face, looks foolish.
[Also: Il fait un nez.]
Il a fait un pied de nez (fam.) = He put his fingers to his nose; “He cut a snook.”
Ce coup l’a fait saigner du nez = That blow made his nose bleed.
Il a saigné du nez = (lit.) His nose bled; (fig.) His heart failed him.
A vue de nez = By rule of thumb.
Il veut toujours fourrer son nez partout (fam.) = He wants to have his finger in every pie. (See Fourrer.)
On voulait lui tirer les vers du nez = They wished to pump him.
Vous vous y casserez le nez = 1. You will fall on your face. 2. You will knock up against something. 3. You will fail in that.
Porter le nez au vent = To stare about aimlessly.
Il me regarda sous le nez = He stared me in the face.
Il me l’a jeté au nez = He cast it in my teeth.
Il a le nez fin = 1. He has a good nose. 2. He is far-sighted, sagacious.
Qui coupe son nez dégarnit son visage = It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest; He who cuts off his nose spites his own face.
[Also: S’arracher le nez pour faire dépit à son visage.]
Il me ferma la porte au nez = He shut the door in my face.
Il lui en pend autant au nez = He may expect as much (something unpleasant); He will fare no better.
Nid
On n’a plus trouvé que le nid = They found the birds flown.
Nitouche
Elle fait la sainte Nitouche = She plays the innocent; She looks as if butter would not melt in her mouth; She looks very demure.
[Sainte Nitouche is derived from sainte n’y touche, shortened from une sainte qui n’y touche pas. See Toucher.]
Noce
Je n’ai jamais été à pareille noce (or, fête) = I never had such a time of it.
Il a fait la noce toute la semaine = He has had a high old time of it all the week; He has been on the spree all the week.
[Literally, to enjoy oneself as if one were a guest at a wedding, where there is plenty of merriment, food, and drink.]
Je ne suis pas à la noce = I am not enjoying myself at all.
Noël
*Tant crie l’on Noël qu’il vient (Villon) = Long looked for comes at last; That is coming—like Christmas.
Quand Noël est vert, les Pâques seront blanches = When the winter is mild, the spring will be wintry.
Noir
Voir tout en noir = To look on the black side of things; To have the blues.
[Opposite to: voir tout en rose, or, voir tout couleur de rose.]
Broyer du noir = To have the blues; To feel very sad.
Nom
Nom d’un petit bonhomme! (fam.) = By Jingo!
Voilà un nom à coucher dehors (avec un billet de logement dans la poche) = That’s a name too ugly for words; That’s an outlandish name if you like.
Nombre
Tout fait nombre = Every little helps.
Normand
C’est répondre en Normand = That is an evasive answer.
Nourrice
Elle dit qu’elle a vingt ans.—Et les mois de nourrice! (fam.) = She says she is twenty.—And the rest!
Nouvelle
Goûtez-moi ce vin; vous m’en direz des nouvelles (fam.) = You just taste this wine, you don’t get wine like that every day; What do you think of that for wine, my boy?
Nue
Tomber des nues = To be astounded.
Nuire
*Ce qui nuit à l’un sert à l’autre = What is one man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Nuit
*La nuit porte conseil = Time will show a plan; Sleep upon it; Seek advice of your pillow.