Example: J'ai fait chou blanc en essayant de réparer la voiture.
Definition
"Faire chou blanc" is a French expression used to describe a situation where someone fails to achieve their goal or is unsuccessful, especially after making an effort. For example, trying to repair a car but not succeeding can be described as "faire chou blanc."
The phrase "faire chou blanc" literally means 'to make a white cabbage,' but its origin is uncertain. One theory suggests it comes from an old card game where drawing a white cabbage card meant losing. Did you know? Despite its literal meaning, it figuratively represents failure or coming up empty-handed.
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"Faire chou blanc" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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