Mon œil !

Expression: Mon œil !

Pronunciation: [mo(n) neuy]

Meaning: My foot! Yeah, right! No way!

Literal translation: My eye!

Register: familiar

Notes: The French expression mon œil ! is used to express either incredulous/ironic disbelief, like the English expressions "my foot!" or "yeah, right!", or an almost indignant refusal, as in "no way!" or "ain't gonna happen!"

In high school French class, I only learned the first meaning (along with the accompanying gesture), but the second makes sense too - there's a certain logic in using the same expression for disbelief that something has happened and a refusal to make something happen.

Example:

Il m'a dit de me réveiller à 5h00 pour commencer le projet et j'ai dit « mon œil ! »

He told me to wake up at 5am to start the project and I said, "yeah, right!"

Related expression: Pas plus que (dans) mon œil - "Not at all, not in the slightest"

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