Ne pas casser trois pattes à un canard
Example: Ce film ne casse pas trois pattes à un canard, mais il est divertissant.
Definition
"Ne pas casser trois pattes à un canard" is a French expression used to describe something that is not extraordinary or impressive. It means that the subject, such as a movie or an event, is rather ordinary or unimpressive, but not necessarily bad.
Etymology
The expression "Ne pas casser trois pattes à un canard" literally means 'not breaking three legs of a duck.' It humorously exaggerates the idea of doing something impossible or unnecessary, since a duck only has two legs. The phrase suggests that whatever is being described does not require extreme effort or is nothing special. Did you know? This saying has been used in French for centuries as a way to downplay someone's praise or a situation.
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"Ne pas casser trois pattes à un canard" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To be nothing special