11/5/2024 Tomber sur un os

"Tomber sur un os," literally translated as "to fall on a bone," is a French idiom meaning to encounter an unexpected difficulty or obstacle. Historically, it draws from the imagery of digging or searching through something soft and suddenly hitting a hard bone, symbolizing an unforeseen challenge. This expression is commonly used in everyday French conversation to describe stumbling upon a problem when one was expecting smooth progress. Its humor lies in the unexpected nature of the obstacle, similar to suddenly biting into something hard while enjoying a tender piece of meat. This phrase reflects the French appreciation for vivid, often food-related metaphors in language.