| Formes composées |
WordReference English-French Dictionary © 2026:
get a handle on [sth],
have a handle on v expr | figurative, informal (understand) | comprendre⇒, saisir⇒ vtr |
| | (familier) | piger⇒ vtr |
| | I can't get a handle on this at all. Can you explain it again? |
| | Je ne comprends rien du tout à ça. Tu peux me le réexpliquer ? |
get the drop on [sb],
have the drop on [sb] v expr | US, informal (draw gun faster than) | dégainer plus vite que [qqn] loc v |
get the drop on [sb],
have the drop on [sb] v expr | US, informal (have at a disadvantage) | avoir le dessus sur [qqn], avoir l'avantage sur [qqn] loc v |
| | | devancer⇒ vtr |
get the jump on,
get a jump on,
have the jump on,
have a jump on v expr | US, informal (gain an initial advantage) | prendre l'avantage sur [qqn], prendre une longueur d'avance sur [qqn] loc v |
| | | devancer⇒ vtr |
| have a chip on your shoulder v expr | figurative (have a resentful attitude) | être aigri, en vouloir à tout le monde loc v |
| | Kate has a chip on her shoulder because, while she works a low-paid job, her three sisters are all running successful businesses. |
| have a cob on v expr | UK, informal (be in a bad mood) | s'énerver⇒ v pron |
| have a corner on [sth] v expr | idiom (own enough of to control market) | accaparer [qch] vtr |
| | I tried to have a corner on the silver market by buying low priced contracts, but I failed miserably. |
| have a crush on [sb] v expr | (be attracted to: [sb]) | avoir un faible pour [qqn] loc v + prép |
| | (familier) | craquer pour/sur [qqn] vi + prép |
| | (familier, un peu vieilli) | en pincer pour [qqn] loc v + prép |
| | (un peu vieilli) | avoir le béguin pour [qqn] loc v + prép |
| | Wendy had a crush on a boy in her class. |
| | Wendy avait un faible pour un garçon de sa classe. |
| | Wendy craquait pour un garçon de sa classe. |
| | Wendy en pinçait pour un garçon de sa classe. |
| | Wendy avait le béguin pour un garçon de sa classe. |
| have a flutter on [sth] v expr | UK, slang (place a bet) | parier sur [qch] vi + prép |
| | John and Mike had a flutter on the outcome of the elections. |
| have a good head on your shoulders v expr | figurative (be sensible) | avoir la tête sur les épaules loc v |
| | I don't mind him dating my daughter. That boy has a good head on his shoulders. |
| | J'aime bien le copain de ma fille : ce garçon a une bonne tête sur les épaules. |
| have a grip on [sth] v expr | figurative, informal (understand) | comprendre⇒, saisir⇒ vtr |
| have a handle on [sth] v expr | (have a firm understanding) | comprendre⇒, saisir⇒ vtr |
| | Now I have a handle on what I'm doing, I think I should be able to get through the project fairly quickly. |
| have a hold on [sth] v expr | (grasp firmly) | tenir fermement vtr + adv |
| | Sally had a hold on the horse's reins. |
| | Sally tenait fermement les rênes du cheval. |
| have a hold on [sth] v expr | (account: be blocked) | être mis en attente loc v |
| | Any check I deposit has a hold on it for 7 days. |
| | Tout chèque que je dépose est mis en attente pendant sept jours. |
| have a hold on [sb] v expr | informal, figurative (exert control) | contrôler⇒ vtr |
| | In New Jersey, Democrats have had a hold on the Senate seats for many years. |
| | Dans le New Jersey, les Démocrates contrôlent le Sénat depuis des années. |
| have a jones on v expr | informal, US (have a craving, compulsive desire) (familier) | avoir trop envie de loc v |
| not have a leg to stand on v expr | figurative (have no support for a claim, etc.) | ne pas avoir de preuves loc v |
| | (accusation, argument) | reposer sur rien, reposer sur du vent loc v |
| have a leg up on [sb] v expr | figurative, informal (have an advantage: over [sb]) | avoir un avantage sur [qqn] loc v |
| | | avoir une longueur d'avance sur [qqn] loc v |
| | She's got a leg up on most of the kids in the team, as her dad's a professional player. |
| have a stranglehold on [sth/sb] v expr | figurative (control, stifle) | avoir la mainmise sur loc v + prép |
| have an edge on v expr | slang (be mildly drunk) (familier) | être légèrement pompette, être un peu pompette loc v |
| | | être un peu éméché loc v |
have blinkers on,
be wearing blinkers v expr | figurative (not perceive [sth] clearly) (figuré) | avoir des œillères loc v |
| have designs on [sb/sth] v expr | (aim to obtain) | avoir des vues sur loc v + prép |
| | He has designs on my girlfriend. |
| | Il a des vues sur ma copine. |
| have egg on your face v expr | figurative (be embarrassed) | avoir l'air fin, passer pour un idiot loc v |
| have it on good authority v expr | (know from a reliable source) | savoir de source sûre, tenir de source sûre loc v |
| Note: Usually followed by that + clause. |
| have no cop on v expr | Irish, informal (lack common sense) | manquer de bon sens loc v |
| | (familier) | piger que dalle loc v |
| have nothing on v expr | informal (be naked) | ne rien porter loc v |
| | Don't come in! I've got nothing on! |
| | N'entre pas ! Je ne porte rien ! |
| have nothing on [sb/sth] v expr | slang (be inferior) | ne pas valoir⇒ vtr |
| | Richard is lovely, but he's got nothing on his brother. |
| | Richard est charmant, mais il ne vaut pas son frère. |
| have nothing on [sb] v expr | informal (have no evidence against) | ne rien avoir sur [qqn] loc v |
| | The police can't arrest me. They've got nothing on me! |
| | La police ne peut pas m'arrêter : ils n'ont rien sur moi ! |
| have [sth/sb] on the brain v expr | informal (think obsessively about) | ne penser qu'à [qch] loc v |
| have [sth] on your conscience v expr | (feel guilty about [sth]) | avoir [qch] sur la conscience loc v |
have a lot on your plate,
have too much on your plate v expr | figurative, informal (be overburdened) | avoir beaucoup à faire loc v |
| | | être débordé loc adj |
| have passed on v expr | euphemism (be dead) | être décédé loc v |
have pity,
have pity on [sb] vi | (be merciful, show compassion) | avoir pitié de loc v + prép |
| | Have pity on her. She comes from a poor family. |
| | Aie pitié d’elle, elle vient d’une famille pauvre. |
| have things on your mind v expr | (be preoccupied) | être préoccupé vi + adj |
| | Joanna has several things on her mind at the moment. |
| | Joanna est préoccupée en ce moment. |
| have time on your hands v expr | figurative (have spare time) | avoir du temps loc v |
have [sth] to hand,
have [sth] on hand v expr | (have [sth] within easy reach) | avoir [qch] à portée de main loc v |
| | | avoir sous la main loc v |
| | I'll give you Jo's phone number. Do you have a pen to hand? |
have your ears on,
have got your ears on v expr | figurative, informal (be listening) | écouter⇒ vtr |
| | | être tout ouïe loc v |
| have your eye on [sth] v expr | (want) | convoiter⇒ vtr |
| | | lorgner sur vtr ind |
| | I've got my eye on a little yellow handbag I saw in a shop window. |
| | Je lorgne sur un petit sac jaune que j'ai vu dans une vitrine. |
| have your eye on [sb] v expr | (watch) | surveiller⇒ vtr |
| | | avoir à l'œil vtr |
| | I've got my eye on you, young man. So behave! |
| | Je te surveille jeune homme. Alors, pas de bêtises ! |
| | Je vous ai à l'œil, jeune homme. Alors, pas de bêtises ! |
| have your eye on [sth] v expr | (aim, intend) | viser⇒ vtr |
| | The company has an eye on future expansion into overseas markets. |
| have your eye on doing [sth] v expr | (aim, intend) | compter faire [qch] loc v |
| | | avoir dans l'idée de faire [qch] loc v |
| | I keep working this job, but I have my eye on going back to college. |
| | Je fais ce petit boulot mais je compte reprendre mes études. |
| have your feet on the ground v expr | (be a pragmatic person) (figuré) | avoir les pieds sur terre loc v |
| have your head screwed on v expr | informal, figurative (be sensible, practical) | avoir la tête sur les épaules loc v |
| | It is best to have your head screwed on when dealing with money. I'm confident he'll make a wise decision; he's got his head screwed on right. |
| | Il est mieux d'avoir la tête sur les épaules quand on traite d'argent. Je suis sûr qu'il prendra la bonne décision : il a la tête sur les épaules. |
keep your eye on the ball,
keep an eye on the ball,
have your eye on the ball v expr | figurative (be attentive, alert) | rester concentré vi + adj |
| | | rester attentif, rester attentive vi + adj |
set your heart on [sth],
have your heart set on [sth] v expr | (desire greatly, long for) | tenir absolument à [qch] v pron |
| | (changement de sujet) | tenir à cœur à [qqn] loc v |
| | | vouloir absolument [qch], vouloir [qch] à tout prix loc v |
| | She had set her heart on a trip to Japan. |
| | The little boy had his heart set on getting a puppy for Christmas. |
| | Elle tenait absolument à partir en voyage au Japon. // Le petit garçon tenait absolument à avoir un chiot pour Noël. |
| | Partir en voyage au Japon lui tenait à cœur. |
| | Le petit garçon voulait absolument avoir un chiot pour Noël. |
take vengeance on [sb],
have vengeance on [sb] v expr | (be avenged) | se venger de v pron + prép |
| | Mark took vengeance on his old girlfriend by putting embarrassing pictures online. |
| | Mark s'est vengé de son ex-copine en mettant des photos gênantes d'elle sur Internet. |