Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

Can you work out which idiomatic expression is depicted below?

Man sitting on a rock throws a bottle out to sea

Discover this mystery French saying featuring a bottle

Andrei Zveaghintev/Shutterstock

Published Thursday 13 March 2025 - 10:14

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The French love using idioms in everyday conversations, however these unique sayings can sound completely bizarre when translated literally into English.

It is useful to understand their figurative meaning to avoid confusion when chatting with locals.

This particular example featuring a bottle, illustrates a popular expression that you might say when launching a desperate appeal.

Can you guess the French phrase?

Click to show answer

A) Lancer une bouteille à la mer (literally: to throw a bottle into the sea)

Take a look at our handy language guide to find out exactly what this idiom means, when to say it, and who to say it to.

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Guess the French phrase behind this photo clue...

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