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 him roses, the idea is that you throw the distasteful person onto the flowers, and since the stems are of course covered in thorns, it's probably not a very nice place to be.

Examples

   Il ne s'est pas excusé, du coup je l'ai envoyé sur les roses.
   He didn't apologize, so I sent him packing.

   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.

(If you're confused by the construction je me suis fait envoyer, please see my lesson on the reflexive causative.)

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

Post your comments about the French expression envoyer sur les roses on my French blog - just hit "comments" at the bottom of the post.

Lessons

• Envoyer conjugations
• Expressions with sur
• Most common French phrases