Example: Elle est tombée dans les pommes pendant la réunion stressante.
Definition
"Tomber dans les pommes" is a French idiom meaning to faint or lose consciousness suddenly, often due to shock, heat, or emotional stress. For example, if someone faints during a stressful meeting, you could say they "tombé dans les pommes."
Translations
To faint
Desmayarse
Flauwvallen
Desmaiar-se
In Ohnmacht fallen
Etymology
The expression "tomber dans les pommes" literally means 'to fall into the apples.' It originated in 19th-century French slang, where 'pommes' was used to refer to apples but also slang for unconsciousness. The phrase humorously evokes the image of fainting by 'falling' into something soft and harmless like apples.
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"Tomber dans les pommes" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To faint