# legs turned to jelly



## eclypse

Hello, 

I am looking for the French equivalent to the following expression:

"my legs turned to jelly" (or to "wax")

Unfortunately I do not have the slightest idea as to what this could possibly be in French, so I hope you won't mind helping me. 

Thank you.


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## Ploupinet

_If it's after a long walk, you can tell "j'ai les jambes en compote"!_


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## Stefan Ivanovich

No French phrase as graphic as the English comes to mind.
My try: 
_Mes jambes se sont mises à flageoler
__Mes genoux ont flanché
__Mes jambes se sont dérobées (_rather bookish_)
_


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## eclypse

Hmm, it's a tough one ... I still haven't decided what to do, but thank you all for your help!


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## eclypse

I went with "mes jambes ne tenaient plus debout" ... its less precise, but i think it conveys the idea near enough.


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## tilt

_Avoir les jambes en compote _really sounds then best translation one for me, if the context is making a big effort.
It you refer to fear, use _Avoir les jambes en coton _instead.


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## tilt

eclypse said:


> I went with "mes jambes ne tenaient plus debout" ... its less precise, but i think it conveys the idea near enough.


The problem is that it is you, and not your legs, that don't stand up anymore.
To keep this kind of sentence, you should rather say "_mes jambes ne me soutenaient plus_".


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## Goug

When your legs turn to jelly, is it because you walked to much, or because you have been scared(after a ride on a rollercoster for example).

When you're tired, you have "les jambes en compote".

Otherwise, after the ride in rollercoster, you have "les jambes qui tremblent, qui flanchent..." In that case, I don't find a better expression...
Edit: After having re-read the topic, "jambes en coton" really fits in this case


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## pieanne

eclypse said:


> I went with "mes jambes ne tenaient plus debout" ... its less precise, but i think it conveys the idea near enough.


 
If we had the whole context, it would be simpler, I'm afraid


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## tilt

Goug said:


> Otherwise, after the ride in rollercoster, you have "les jambes qui tremblent, qui flanchent..." In that case, I don't find a better expression...


_Les jambes en coton_, I said!


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## pieanne

From the title, it looks like it happened suddenly, so all the "static" French translations might not fit...
"Mes jambes se sont dérobées" or something like that, I think


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## eclypse

pieanne said:


> From the title, it looks like it happened suddenly, so all the "static" French translations might not fit...
> "Mes jambes se sont dérobées" or something like that, I think


 
You are very right ! That's exactly what I was looking for  thank you !


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## pieanne

I'm so glad! (shall I tell you when my birthday is?)


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## tilt

eclypse said:


> You are very right ! That's exactly what I was looking for  thank you !


Just notice that this one implies that you did fall.


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## pieanne

(Can you stand on jelly legs?)


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## eclypse

tilt said:


> Just notice that this one implies that you did fall.


 

Hmmm, okay, then how about "comme si mes jambes allaient se dérober" ?


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## pieanne

eclypse said:


> Hmmm, okay, then how about "comme si mes jambes allaient se dérober" ?


 
But *what is the context?*


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## pieanne

There's also "mes jambes se changèrent en coton", if you want to refer to another material.


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## eclypse

Well, it was actually just a general query, however, I can remember one context where it occurred: 

A very tall lady was telling a story about how her height shaped, and made her life very difficult, she would say: When I was with a handsome but smaller man, I would dive for the nearest chair, as if my legs had turned to jelly (or wax).


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## pieanne

Now, that's different from your title 
"Comme si mes jambes ne pouvaient plus me supporter" is what I would say


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## Goug

From what i saw by googling it, I found out that people have legs turning to jelly when they do an extreme effort and also when you are scared of something:

"If the thought of your first show makes your *legs turn to jelly*, get together with friends ..." -> Avoir les jambes en coton (thank you tilt ;-)

or

On the final straight, with the *legs turning to jelly*, and ready to give up, the rest of the team would jog along side the runner...

->In that case, avoir les jambes en compotes.
Although you rather say you have "les jambes en compote" when you are not used to physical efforts, or when you did walk a lot for example...
We wouldn't use it for athletes, I think...


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## Blougouz

eclypse said:


> I went with "mes jambes ne tenaient plus debout" ... its less precise, but i think it conveys the idea near enough.


Hi! Attention, L'expression exacte en français est: _les jambes ne *me* tiennent plus debout!_
Mais _les jambes en compote_ sera plus proche de l'expression originale...


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## petit1

n'avoir plus de force dans les jambes


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## joelooc

Surprisingly no one came up with the phrase "en avoir les jambe coupées" (figuratively of course)


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## Blougouz

eclypse said:


> Well, it was actually just a general query, however, I can remember one context where it occurred:
> 
> A very tall lady was telling a story about how her height shaped, and made her life very difficult, she would say: When I was with a handsome but smaller man, I would dive for the nearest chair, as if my legs had turned to jelly (or wax).



Thx Eclypse for the context! I suggest this translation:

When I was with a handsome but smaller man, I would dive for the nearest chair, as if my legs had turned to jelly (or wax).
_Lorsque je le trouvais avec un bel homme mais plus petit (que moi), je me précipitais vers la chaise la plus proche comme si mes jambes ne me tenaient plus._..

_Bel homme_ would be the kind if expression from a woman in 40s or more. A younger woman would rather say: _beau mec._


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## petit1

I would rather say "comme si mes jambes ne me soutenaient plus".

Joelooc, that's a good idea and you could even say:
"_ne plus avoir de jambes_". Ex- Je suis resté(e) debout toute la journée; je n'ai plus de jambes (_je ne sens plus mes jambes_).

When my mother was being funny she sometimes said: "_J'ai les jambes sans connaissance_."


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## Itisi

Going back:
For me, 'legs turning to jelly' is something that happens suddenly, usually due to fear.
And 'jambes en compote' is for something that happens gradually, due to effor/tiredness.
I have never heard 'mes jambes _se changèrent_ en coton'...


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## Nicomon

joelooc said:


> Surprisingly no one came up with the phrase "en avoir les jambe coupées" (figuratively of course)


 Tiens donc.  Moi je dis :  _en avoir les jambes sciées.  _


> *jambes sciées* & pattes sciées
> Jambes sans forces, qui ne soutiennent plus (fatigue, choc moral, surprise, etc.) *source*


 Mais je le dis en cas de choc ou de surprise. Pas si _j'ai les jambes en compote/les jambes mortes _après avoir trop marché.
Dans ce sens, j'aime beaucoup :  _j'ai les jambes sans connaissance. _ 

Dans le même ordre d'idées que _les jambes en coton,   _j'ai lu mais ne me souviens pas avoir entendu : _les jambes en flanelle_
Il y aussi les _jambes en guimauve  _ou bien (simplement)_ les jambes molles _
Et en franglais québécois :  _les jambes en jello / en marshmallow
_
En cas de peur,  comme dans  _I felt my legs turning to jelly  _là je dirais :_   j'ai senti mes jambes ramollir.
Mes jambes se sont mises à flageoler_ rend bien l'idée de _legs turning to jelly_, mais le registre est plus soutenu que l'expression anglaise.

@ Blougouz :  Pour ce qui est du contexte d'eclypse, qui a ouvert ce fil en 2007, il/elle s'est peut-être éclipsé(e) du forum depuis. 
Mais bon, là j'aurais dit :  ... _comme si mes jambes ne pouvaient plus me porter / ne me soutenaient plus. _


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## luliber

J'aurais tendance à dire plus qu'à écrire: J'ai les guiboles en compote"


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## petit1

Entendu également: "Il me semble que je n'ai plus rien dans les jambes"


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## Itisi

Les guiboles qui flageolent... But 'guiboles' is 'pins', it's slang.

That expression is from a well-known song, from 1932, 'Je n'suis pas bien portant'.  It's a long list of things going wrong with the body, and very funny.


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