Expression: Pédaler dans la choucroute
Pronunciation: [pay da lay da(n) la shoo croot]
Meaning: To be at a complete loss, getting nowhere fast, spinning one's wheels
Literal translation: To pedal in the sauerkraut
Register: familiar
Notes: This is one of my favorite French expressions. Pédaler dans la choucroute offers a fantastic visual image of someone working like crazy but getting exactly nowhere. It's also completely bizarre - why on Earth would anyone be riding a bike in a bowl of sauerkraut?
Example
Ce n'est pas la peine de continuer à chercher - tu pédales dans la choucroute.
Don't bother continuing to search - you're spinning your wheels.
Post your comments about the French expression pédaler dans la choucroute on my French blog - just hit "comments" at the bottom of the post.
Synonymous expressions:pédaler dans la semoule - to pedal in the semolina pédaler dans le yaourt - to pedal in the yogurt
Pronunciation: [pay da lay da(n) la shoo croot]
Meaning: To be at a complete loss, getting nowhere fast, spinning one's wheels
Literal translation: To pedal in the sauerkraut
Register: familiar
Notes: This is one of my favorite French expressions. Pédaler dans la choucroute offers a fantastic visual image of someone working like crazy but getting exactly nowhere. It's also completely bizarre - why on Earth would anyone be riding a bike in a bowl of sauerkraut?
Example
Ce n'est pas la peine de continuer à chercher - tu pédales dans la choucroute.
Don't bother continuing to search - you're spinning your wheels.
Post your comments about the French expression pédaler dans la choucroute on my French blog - just hit "comments" at the bottom of the post.
Synonymous expressions: