Pinning it on someone, clearing them, footing the bill — and by what standard.
Practise this list
From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
Faire porter le chapeau is the sharpest thing in this list and the one no dictionary renders in a single word. Literally it is to make somebody wear the hat, and the hat is the blame for something they did not do. The plain form, porter le chapeau, is what happens to you: c’est lui qui a porté le chapeau says the whole business landed on him and stayed there. Add the causative faire and the same image turns outward — on lui a fait porter le chapeau — so one small verb decides whether you are the one wearing it or the one handing it over. English cannot follow that with a single expression. For the receiving end we say « to carry the can », which matches the register well, workplace rather than courtroom; for the giving end the idiom has to change altogether and we say « to pin it on somebody ». So French covers both directions with one hat and a causative, while English needs two unrelated pictures, a tin and a pin, to do the same two jobs.
The words
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Verb (6)
ventilerto apportionVerbC1
Les coûts sont ventilés entre les deux services.The costs are apportioned between the two departments.
blâmerto blameVerbC1
Personne ne l’a blâmé pour ce retard.Nobody blamed him for this delay.
disculperto exonerateVerbC1
Le rapport disculpe le conducteur.The report exonerates the driver.
absoudreto absolveVerbC1
Une explication ne l’absout pas de sa part.An explanation does not absolve him of his share.
incriminerto incriminateVerbC1
Il s’incrimine lui-même en donnant cette date.He incriminates himself by giving this date.
inculperto charge with an offenceVerbC1
Deux personnes ont été inculpées.Two people have been charged.
