Em 15 segundos
- Used to describe a plan or event that fails to happen.
- Comes from old muskets that failed to fire properly.
- Often used negatively to mean something ended very quickly.
Significado
This phrase actually means that something failed to happen or didn't last as long as expected. It describes a situation where a plan or an event fizzles out quickly.
Exemplos-chave
3 de 6Discussing a failed business venture
Sa nouvelle entreprise a fait long feu après seulement trois mois.
His new business fizzled out after only three months.
Talking about a short-lived romance
Leur histoire d'amour a fait long feu.
Their romance didn't go anywhere.
Texting about a party that ended early
La fête n'a pas fait long feu, tout le monde est parti à 22h !
The party didn't last long, everyone left at 10 PM!
Contexto cultural
L'expression est très utilisée dans la presse politique française pour souligner l'inefficacité des annonces gouvernementales. Elle rappelle l'époque où la France était une puissance militaire majeure utilisant des fusils à silex (flintlock). Au Québec, l'expression est comprise mais on utilise plus souvent 'tomber à l'eau' ou 'capoter' dans un sens informel. Les auteurs classiques comme Balzac ou Zola utilisaient cette expression pour décrire des ambitions sociales déçues.
The 'Long' Trap
Don't use this to mean something lasted a long time. It's a very common error for English speakers.
Political Savvy
Use this in a professional setting to sound sophisticated when discussing a failed strategy.
Em 15 segundos
- Used to describe a plan or event that fails to happen.
- Comes from old muskets that failed to fire properly.
- Often used negatively to mean something ended very quickly.
What It Means
Imagine you are lighting a firework. You expect a big bang. Instead, the fuse burns slowly and nothing happens. That is the essence of faire long feu. In modern French, it means something failed. It means a project or an idea didn't work out. It fizzled out before it could even start. It is the sound of a deflating balloon.
How To Use It
You use this phrase to talk about failures. Use it when a plan goes nowhere. You can use it for movies that flop. You can use it for relationships that end quickly. It usually follows a subject like son projet or leur relation. Just remember it is often used in the negative. If you say something n'a pas fait long feu, it means it was very successful or lasted a long time. It is a bit of a linguistic trap!
When To Use It
Use it when discussing a business that closed fast. Use it at a party when the music stops early. It works well when texting a friend about a bad date. If you started a diet on Monday and quit by Tuesday, tell your friend: Mon régime n'a pas fait long feu. It adds a touch of poetic irony to your daily struggles. It feels more sophisticated than just saying 'it failed'.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use this for physical fires. If your campfire is burning for hours, do not use this phrase. It is strictly for metaphorical failures now. Also, avoid it in very high-stakes legal documents. It is a bit too colorful for a court of law. Don't use it if you actually mean someone is 'in the same boat'. That is a common mistranslation for this specific idiom.
Cultural Background
This expression comes from the world of old muskets. Back in the day, gunpowder was unpredictable. Sometimes the powder would burn slowly without exploding. The bullet would stay in the barrel. The soldier would wait, but nothing happened. This 'long fire' was a dangerous failure. Today, we don't carry muskets, but we still have plans that fail to launch. It captures that specific frustration of a 'dud' moment.
Common Variations
You will most often hear the negative version: ne pas faire long feu. This is actually more common in daily speech. If a guest leaves your party after ten minutes, they n'ont pas fait long feu. It means they were gone in a flash. The positive version faire long feu is rarer and strictly means 'to fail'. Be careful with the 'not'—it changes the meaning from 'failed' to 'didn't last long'.
Notas de uso
The phrase is neutral and widely understood. The most important thing to remember is the distinction between the positive (failure) and negative (short duration) forms.
The 'Long' Trap
Don't use this to mean something lasted a long time. It's a very common error for English speakers.
Political Savvy
Use this in a professional setting to sound sophisticated when discussing a failed strategy.
Chirac's Legacy
If you want to sound more 'modern' or 'casual', use 'faire pschitt'—every French person knows the reference.
Exemplos
6Sa nouvelle entreprise a fait long feu après seulement trois mois.
His new business fizzled out after only three months.
Here it describes a total failure of a project.
Leur histoire d'amour a fait long feu.
Their romance didn't go anywhere.
Used to describe a relationship that failed to develop.
La fête n'a pas fait long feu, tout le monde est parti à 22h !
The party didn't last long, everyone left at 10 PM!
The negative form implies the event was very short.
Ce film a fait long feu au box-office.
This movie was a total flop at the box office.
Used for commercial failures.
Ma résolution de faire du sport a fait long feu dès le 2 janvier.
My resolution to exercise fizzled out by January 2nd.
Self-deprecating humor about personal failure.
Notre projet de voyage a fait long feu à cause de la grève.
Our travel plans fell through because of the strike.
Expresses sadness over a plan that didn't happen.
Teste-se
Choisissez la bonne interprétation de la phrase suivante : 'Leur projet de vacances a fait long feu.'
Qu'est-ce que cela signifie ?
'Faire long feu' signifie que le projet a échoué ou ne s'est pas réalisé comme prévu.
Complétez la phrase avec la forme correcte de l'expression.
La nouvelle loi sur l'environnement _________ (passé composé) à cause des protestations.
L'expression est invariable : 'a fait long feu'.
Associez la situation à l'expression appropriée.
Une start-up ferme après 2 mois d'existence.
On utilise 'faire long feu' pour l'échec du projet lui-même.
Complétez le dialogue de manière logique.
Pierre : 'Alors, tu as enfin lancé ta chaîne YouTube ?' Marie : 'Non, j'ai eu trop de problèmes techniques, l'idée _________.'
'Faire long feu' exprime l'abandon ou l'échec de l'idée.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosQu'est-ce que cela signifie ?
'Faire long feu' signifie que le projet a échoué ou ne s'est pas réalisé comme prévu.
La nouvelle loi sur l'environnement _________ (passé composé) à cause des protestations.
L'expression est invariable : 'a fait long feu'.
Une start-up ferme après 2 mois d'existence.
On utilise 'faire long feu' pour l'échec du projet lui-même.
Pierre : 'Alors, tu as enfin lancé ta chaîne YouTube ?' Marie : 'Non, j'ai eu trop de problèmes techniques, l'idée _________.'
'Faire long feu' exprime l'abandon ou l'échec de l'idée.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasIt is almost always negative, as it describes a failure or a disappointment.
Usually no. It's used for plans, ideas, or events. You wouldn't say 'Cet homme a fait long feu' unless you mean his career or a specific project of his failed.
'Faire long feu' is formal and historical. 'Faire pschitt' is informal and onomatopoeic. They mean the same thing.
It's a fixed verbal expression (locution verbale). Like 'avoir faim' or 'faire attention', the article is omitted.
Yes. 'Si nous ne changeons rien, ce projet fera long feu.'
It's common in professional and media contexts. In very casual speech with friends, people might use simpler words like 'ça a foiré'.
Very similar, but 'tomber à l'eau' often implies the project was cancelled before it even started, while 'faire long feu' implies it started but failed to have an impact.
Yes, it's a very professional way to describe a failed initiative without being too blunt.
No, that doesn't exist. The 'long' refers to the duration of the burning powder, not the length of the fire itself.
You could say 'couronné de succès' (crowned with success) or 'faire un tabac' (to be a huge hit).
Frases relacionadas
Faire pschitt
synonymTo fizzle out (onomatopoeic)
Tomber à l'eau
similarTo fall into the water / to be cancelled
Faire feu de tout bois
contrastTo use every resource available
Mettre le feu aux poudres
builds onTo trigger a major conflict
