French Expression of the Day: À cheval sur
This French expression has to do with horse riders and their preference for closely following the rules.
Why do I need to know à cheval sur?
Because it can hold the key to staying on somebody’s good side.
What does it mean?
À cheval sur - roughly pronounced ah-sha-val sir - literally translates to being "on horseback over something”.
But it does not in fact refer to the Wild West, nor is it the same as the high horse we like to refer to in English (monter sur ses grands chevaux means “to get on your high horse” or to feel morally superior over something).
The expression has two uses, and neither of them have anything to do with horses. It is most commonly used to refer to someone who is particularly fussy or meticulous about a certain subject, often related to rules or principles.
In other cases, you might say à cheval sur in a more physical sense, to describe something situated above other things. For example, you might say that a building is à cheval sur trois communes - this would mean the site is straddling three communes.
As for the first usage of the word, you probably know someone who is à cheval sur la grammaire - a stickler for grammar. It’s not necessarily positive or pejorative, it’s simply something that’s important to the person, something they care about and pay close attention to.
Perhaps this governs their interactions with others, to the point where they tell people off for doing something wrong, or maybe it’s just a set of standards they aim for themselves. Either way, it's best not to push your luck.
There are various theories about what horses have to do with being rigid. It has been suggested that it’s because horse riders teach their animals very strict movements and jumps, which require real discipline to train.
If you are looking for another, perhaps more concise way of describing someone or something who has high standards, you could say exigeant, which means demanding, or pointilleux, which means meticulous.
Use it like this
Mon colocataire est très à cheval sur le ménage – My flatmate is really fussy about the cleaning
Il faut pas que je sois en retard, mon patron est à cheval là-dessus – I mustn’t be late, my boss is very particular about that
Les Allemands sont à cheval sur les horaires – The Germans are strict about their schedules
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Why do I need to know à cheval sur?
Because it can hold the key to staying on somebody’s good side.
What does it mean?
À cheval sur - roughly pronounced ah-sha-val sir - literally translates to being "on horseback over something”.
But it does not in fact refer to the Wild West, nor is it the same as the high horse we like to refer to in English (monter sur ses grands chevaux means “to get on your high horse” or to feel morally superior over something).
The expression has two uses, and neither of them have anything to do with horses. It is most commonly used to refer to someone who is particularly fussy or meticulous about a certain subject, often related to rules or principles.
In other cases, you might say à cheval sur in a more physical sense, to describe something situated above other things. For example, you might say that a building is à cheval sur trois communes - this would mean the site is straddling three communes.
As for the first usage of the word, you probably know someone who is à cheval sur la grammaire - a stickler for grammar. It’s not necessarily positive or pejorative, it’s simply something that’s important to the person, something they care about and pay close attention to.
Perhaps this governs their interactions with others, to the point where they tell people off for doing something wrong, or maybe it’s just a set of standards they aim for themselves. Either way, it's best not to push your luck.
There are various theories about what horses have to do with being rigid. It has been suggested that it’s because horse riders teach their animals very strict movements and jumps, which require real discipline to train.
If you are looking for another, perhaps more concise way of describing someone or something who has high standards, you could say exigeant, which means demanding, or pointilleux, which means meticulous.
Use it like this
Mon colocataire est très à cheval sur le ménage – My flatmate is really fussy about the cleaning
Il faut pas que je sois en retard, mon patron est à cheval là-dessus – I mustn’t be late, my boss is very particular about that
Les Allemands sont à cheval sur les horaires – The Germans are strict about their schedules
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