French expressions have a knack for turning everyday frustrations into vivid images. “Long comme un jour sans pain”—literally “as long as a day without bread”—doesn’t just talk about time. It speaks to a particular kind of misery… the kind where hours crawl by endlessly, and not even a slice of bread is there to comfort you.
🔹 Where does it come from?
Bread holds a special place in French culture—not just as food, but as a symbol of comfort and daily life. A day without it? Bland, gloomy… endless.
That’s the spirit behind this expression: a day without bread is a day that drags on and on. The metaphor stuck, and today it offers a poetic way to describe painfully slow experiences.
🔹 When do you use it?
Whenever something feels like it’s taking forever—whether it’s a slow afternoon, an endless wait, or a meeting that just won’t end.
📅 At work: “Ce lundi au bureau ? Long comme un jour sans pain” → “This Monday at the office? What a never-ending day.”
⏳ Waiting around: “J’ai attendu mon train pendant deux heures, c’était long comme un jour sans pain” → “My train was delayed two hours — it was as long as a month of Sundays.”
📺 Utter boredom: “Ce film… long comme un jour sans pain” → “That movie… just wouldn’t end.”
🔹 Overly dramatic? A bit—but that’s the charm.
In France, missing bread is missing the essentials. And when you’re missing the essentials, time stands still. That touch of drama makes the expression fun, relatable—and, let’s face it, very French.
What’s the last time your day felt as long as a month of Sundays? (The English equivalent is not that bad either!) Share your slowest moments with me on socials—complaining in French always helps! 😉
📚 Source for this article:
Rey, Alain, et Sophie Chantreau. Long (grand…) comme un jour sans pain. Dans Dictionnaire des expressions et locutions, Dictionnaires Le Robert, 2003, p. 669.