Example: Pour impressionner ses invités, elle a mis les petits plats dans les grands.
Definition
"Mettre les petits plats dans les grands" means to make a great effort to prepare an elaborate and impressive meal or event, often to impress guests or show generosity. It implies going beyond the usual to create a special experience.
Translations
To go all out for guests
Echar la casa por la ventana
Alles uit de kast halen
Posar tota la carn a la graella
Groß auftischen
Etymology
The phrase "Mettre les petits plats dans les grands" literally translates to 'putting the small dishes into the big ones.' It originates from French culinary traditions, where serving small dishes on larger plates symbolizes generosity and abundance. Did you know it reflects the idea of elevating something simple into something grand to honor guests?
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"Mettre les petits plats dans les grands" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To go all out for guests