Example: Après la dispute, ils ont décidé de passer l'éponge et de se réconcilier.
Definition
"Passer l'éponge" is a French expression meaning to forgive or forget a past offense or disagreement, allowing people to move on without holding grudges. For example, after a dispute, they decided to "passer l'éponge" and reconcile.
Translations
To forgive and forget
Borrón y cuenta nueva
Er een streep onder zetten
Fer tabula rasa
Schwamm drüber
Etymology
The expression "passer l'éponge" literally means 'to pass the sponge.' It originates from the idea of wiping a blackboard clean with a sponge, symbolizing erasing mistakes or conflicts. This metaphor evolved into the modern sense of forgiving and forgetting past issues.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Passer l'éponge" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To forgive and forget