Envoyer sur les roses

Expression: Envoyer sur les roses

Pronunciation: [a(n) vwa yay sur lay roz]

Meaning: to brush off, send packing, tell where to go

Literal translation: to send on the roses

Register: informal

Notes: The French expression envoyer sur les roses is a sort of antiphrasis or irony. Sending roses (envoyer des roses) is normally a nice thing to do to express appreciation or fondness. But envoyer sur les roses is something you do when you are annoyed by someone. Rather than giving roses, the idea is that you throw the distasteful person on the flowers, and since the stems are of course covered in thorns, it's probably not a very nice place to be.

Example:
   J'ai essayé de lui parler, mais je me suis fait envoyer sur les roses.
   I tried to talk to her, but I got the brush off.

Similar: Envoyer aux pelotes - literally, "to send to the pin cushions"

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Lessons: Causative (faire + infinitive) | Se faire