ménager la chèvre et le chou

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French

Etymology

Literally, “to go easy both on the goat and the cabbage”, two goals that are contradictory since goats eat cabbage. Compare Dutch de kool en de geit sparen. A similar opposition between goat and cabbage is also found in Finnish pukki kaalimaan vartijana.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /me.na.ʒe la ʃɛvʁ e l(ə) ʃu/
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

ménager la chèvre et le chou

  1. to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds; to keep both parties sweet; to tread a fine line

Derived terms

See also