Raconter des salades

Raconter des salades
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!

Informal French Expression

Meaning to tell stories, spin yarns, lie
Literally to tell salads
Register informal
Pronunciation French sound files [rah ko(n) tay day sah lahd]
IPA   [ʀa kɔ̃ te de sa lad]

Usage notes: The French expression raconter des salades is equivalent to "spinning yarns"; in other words, telling elaborate lies. Why salad? Maybe because it’s a variety of colorful ingredients that, together, make a delicious – or in this case, easy to swallow – whole.

Par exemple…

Ne l’écoute pas, il raconte des salades.   Don’t listen to him, he’s spinning yarns.
C’est impossible, je pense que tu racontes des salades.   That’s impossible, I think you’re lying.

Useful verbs

The following verbs can also be followed by des salades to indicate how the lies are received:

  • accepter – to accept
  • avaler – to swallow (literally and figuratively)
  • croire – to believe
  • gober (informal) – to swallow (literally and figuratively)

 More French expressions with food

Related lessons

 Share / Tweet / Pin Me!

Raconter des salades

  Lawless French Files:  

Stay up to date with Lawless French

Questions about French?

 Visit the Progress with Lawless French Q+A forum to get help from native French speakers and fellow learners.

More Lawless French

 Subscribe to my twice-weekly newsletter.

Support Lawless French

  This free website is created with love and a great deal of work.

If you love it, please consider making a one-time or monthly donation.

Your support is entirely optional but tremendously appreciated.

Leave a Reply