Using the French Expression Avoir la Frite

Expression: Avoir la fritePronunciation: [a vwar la freet]Meaning: to feel great, be full of energyLiteral translation: to have the French fryRegister: familiarNotes: The French expressions avoir la frite and avoir la patate mean exactly the same thing: to feel great. Patate is an informal synonym for the head and by extension so is frite, thus saying that you have the potato or the French fry means that you have the (proper) head - in other words, your head is in a good place and you feel great. Examples Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais depuis mardi, jai la frite  !I dont know why, but Ive felt great since Tuesday!Elle avait la frite jusquau coup de tà ©là ©phone de sa banque.She was feeling great until the bank called.Tu nas pas lair davoir la frite.You dont look well, You dont look like you feel very well.Pauvre Thomas, il na pas la frite aujourdhui.Poor Thomas, hes not feeling too great, hes a bit down today.Avoir indicates a current status; you can substitute other verbs to indicate a change or continuation.Quest-ce quon peut faire pour lui donner la frite  ?What can we do to cheer/perk him up?Jespà ¨re quil va garder la frite quand il entendra les nouvelles.I hope hell still feel good when he hears the news. Synonymous Expressions à ªtre dattaque - literally, to be on attackà ªtre en forme - to be on formà ªtre en pleine forme - to be on full formà ªtre plein dà ©nergie - to be full of energyavoir la pà ªche (informal) - to have the peachavoir la pà ªche denfer (informal) - to have the peach from hellavoir mangà © du cheval (informal) - to have eaten some horseavoir mangà © du lion (informal) - to have eaten some lionà ªtre dans son assiette (informal, usually used in the negative) - to be in ones platepà ©ter le feu (familiar) - to be bursting with firepà ©ter les flammes (familiar) - to be bursting with flames Warning: The Collins-Robert Dictionary gives the alternate British translation to be full of beans for avoir la frite and some of the synonyms. However, in American English, that means to talk nonsense, which in French is dire nimporte quoi or dire des bà ªtises. Related Expressions à ªtre une frite - to be sickly, puny (literally, to be a French fry)faire une frite à   quelquun (informal) - to slap someone on the bottom (literally, to do a French fry on someone)