Translation of an idiom

Question

Would someone know the equivalent in English of the French idiom "un colosse aux pieds d'argile" ?Thanks for helping!

Tanit · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Perhaps "feet of clay" would fit.

(The reference to a huge statue would not be explicit, though).
A couple of references below.

To find that somebody has feet of clay means to realize that the person is phony or at least fallible. The phrase originated with the idea of looking at a statue made of something wonderful, let's say gold, and then seeing with disappointment that the statue's feet were mere clay. I think some real statues or idols were involved [...]

SOURCE: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/7/messages/625.html

if you say that someone you admire has feet of clay, you mean they have hidden faults
Some of the greatest geniuses in history had feet of clay.
SOURCE: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=feet*1+0&dict=I

Translation of an idiom

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