My little finger told me…
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English Meaning: An expression used when you have information but do not want to reveal the source of it.
English Equivalents: A little bird(ie) told me… A little mouse told me… Someone told me… I heard through the grapevine… The word is…
French Meaning: Ce que l’on dit lorsqu’on ne veut pas révéler ses sources.
French Equivalents: Quelqu’un m’a dit… J’ai entendu dire… J’ai entendu entre les branches… (*used primarily in Québec)
In English, we often talk about a pinky swear, or raising one’s pinky when holding a cup. But the idea of talking to one’s pinky finger is a delightfully amusing one.
“Hello, can you hear me? I have something to tell you…”
My pinky finger told me… This is a somewhat childish French expression for when you want to share information without giving away your source. The phrase would naturally continue with que… (that…).
If you’re wondering where this curiosity came from, Expressio.fr notes that its origin is quite simple, if a little silly. (The site also notes that while others have tried to find more profound explanations, this expression’s backstory is very modest.) The idea is, of all the digits on your hand, the smallest one would be the most likely to fit in your ear to tell you a secret. This finger is the aptly named petit doigt, or more technically, auriculaire, which itself is an adjective for things related to l’oreille (the ear).
In terms of appropriateness, mon petit doigt m’a dit is often used with children. You might use it when talking to a child about something you know they did… especially if it was une bêtise (an act of foolishness)! In this way, it’s identical to “A little birdie told me” in English. However, instead of pointing to a bird or a mouse as we do in English, the French say word came from their “little finger.”
Given how serious that sounds—or rather, doesn’t sound—you can conclude for yourselves that this expression is best reserved for a casual crowd. (I would not have used it with my conservative French bosses, for example! Or anyone I have to show a lot of respect.) So unless you’re being playful with friends about a suspicion or gossip, save it for the kiddos!
As a final note, for the lit buffs out there, I have seen the Shakespearean line “By the pricking of my thumbs” (from Macbeth) suggested as an English equivalent. And I understand the temptation to link that expression to this one because of the reference to one’s digits. However, I feel that phrase lacks the lighthearted tone and is too foreboding to be a proper equivalent, so I have not listed it.
French Context: Mon petit doigt m’a dit que tu avais mangé tous les bonbons. Allez, brosse-toi les dents maintenant.
Translation: A little birdie told me you ate all the candies. Ok, come on, brush your teeth now.
News Article Challenge:
Intermediate and advanced learners, find today’s expression in this news article about intuition!
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