Étranger Things: None of Your Onions!

on


 

When you first start learning French, it feels like every other day someone is politely (or not so politely) telling you that something is “none of your onions.”

Yes, that’s right: “Occupe-toi de tes oignons.” Literally: “Mind your onions.” Figuratively: “Mind your own business.”

Now, I don’t know how onions got dragged into this—surely leeks, or at least garlic, deserved a shot? After all, this is Provence, land of l’ail and la soupe au pistou. But no: onions it is. Somewhere, some ancestor must have been very protective of their onion patch.

I first heard this phrase when I was proudly showing off my new bus pass and asking my French neighbor how much rent he paid (rookie mistake). He smiled, shook his head, and said: “Occupe-toi de tes oignons.” I panicked. Was he accusing me of being smelly? Was there an onion in my shopping bag leaking? Only later did I discover the idiomatic meaning.

It’s one of those expressions that makes you love French all over again. Quirky, agricultural, and just sharp enough to cut you down to size. The beauty is, it works anywhere:

  • Friend giving you unwanted advice? Occupe-toi de tes oignons.

  • Stranger asking personal questions on the bus? Occupe-toi de tes oignons.

  • Husband peeking into your jam recipe? Definitely: Occupe-toi de tes oignons.

So next time someone pries into your life, don’t bristle—just smile and let onions do the talking.

Because honestly, French or foreigner, we’ve all got enough onions to deal with already.

🍽️ Phrase Sidebar: Ways to Say “Mind Your Own Business” in French

  • Funny / light:
    🧅 Occupe-toi de tes oignons — “Mind your onions.”

  • Neutral / polite:
    👀 Ça ne te regarde pas — “That doesn’t concern you.”

  • Firm / sharper:
    ✋ Mêle-toi de tes affaires — “Mind your business.”

  • Classic Aixois shrug:
    🤷 Chacun ses oignons — “To each their onions.”

🥕 Vocab Box: French Food Idioms

  • 🧅 Occupe-toi de tes oignons — Mind your own business.

  • 🍓 Ramener sa fraise — To stick your nose in (literally “bring your strawberry”).

  • 🍑 Avoir la pêche — To feel great / full of energy (“to have the peach”).

  • 🌰 Casser les noisettes à quelqu’un — To annoy someone (“to break their hazelnuts”).

  • 🌿 Avoir un cœur d’artichaut — To fall in love easily (“to have an artichoke heart”).


Comments

Post a Comment