Tirer une carotte

Expression: Tirer une carotte (à quelqu'un)

Pronunciation: [tee ray oon ka ruht]

Meaning: To swindle, trick (someone)

Literal translation: To pull a carrot (on/from someone)

Register: informal

Notes: In this expression, carotte is a swindle or trick, and tirer means to pull (that swindle) on someone.

Unlike most French expressions, tirer une carotte is not fixed - you can vary the word between the verb and noun: tirer la carotte, tirer des carottes, tirer quelques carottes, etc. Regardless of which form of the expression you hear, the meaning is the same: to swindle or trick someone, to take someone for a ride, to "have" someone.

Example
   Pierre déteste sa sœur ; elle lui a tiré une carotte il y a dix ans
   Pierre hates his sister; she swindled him ten years ago

It's interesting that carotte refers to something bad in this expression, because everywhere else, it's a good thing. In the English expression "to offer someone a carrot, dangle a carrot in front of someone" and "the carrot and stick policy," it refers to something positive. This is true in their French equivalents as well: tendre une carotte à quelqu'un and la politique de la carotte et du bâton, respectively. In addition, une carotte fiscale is a tax incentive.

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More

• Expressions with tirer
• Most common French phrases
• Food in French