On va pas chercher midi à quatorze heures : fun french expression no. 1

FIND OUT WHAT THIS AMUSING FRENCH EXPRESSION MEANS SO YOU CAN START TO USE IT IN YOUR CONVERSATIONS France has many colourful and fun expressions - this is the first part of a series

explaining some of the most creative ones that are used in everyday life.  ON VA PAS CHERCHER MIDI À QUATORZE HEURES  Literal translation: Let’s not look for noon at two o’clock The closest

English equivalent to this is ‘let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill’.  It refers to overcomplicating something simple.  For example, if you are trying to organise a day out with

friends and it is getting too complicated, someone would say bon, on va pas chercher midi à quatorze heures, allons boire un verre (‘right, let’s not make things too complicated, let’s grab

a drink’). The expression used to be chercher midi à onze heures (looking for noon at 11 o’clock) but it switched to its current form in the 17th century.  It is commonly used across France

and it is slightly informal, although not rude in any way.  It is an oral expression, which is why there is no ‘ne’ in the sentence. It should be written on ne va pas chercher midi à

quatorze heures to be grammatically correct, but that is not how French people speak.  This is the first in a series of fun expressions which you can look out for every weekday.  Do you have

a favourite amusing French expression? Let us know at [email protected]