A rising tide lifts all boats

A rising tide lifts all boats This aphorism, coined by John F. Kennedy, describes the idea that when an economy is performing well, all people will benefit from it.

American expressions, so I have found, differ from the French language, which is particularly rife with culinary-inspired idioms. Stumbling onto a French blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, I found that edible expressions abound, as thier love for food is used to reflect life.

Having a long day? "Long comme un jour sans pain." A literal translation would be, "As long as a day without bread," and it is used to express that something is very long -- in reference to physical length (a long road, a long list) or, more frequently, to the duration of an event (a long speech, a long wait) -- and dreary, like the news last year, when it was all so dreary.

A good way to reach a compromise: "Couper la poire en deux." It means, literally, "cutting the pear in two," if two people want the same pear, halving it is the most equitable way to settle the dispute.

Running out of steam in the middle of the day? The French expression would be - "Retomber comme un soufflé." Literally translated as, "Falling back like a soufflé," or running out of steam in a quick and sudden way.

Not feeling well?"Ne pas être dans son assiette", translated as, "not being in one's plate," it is a colloquial expression that means feeling under the weather, being out of sorts, physically or emotionally.

What would be the equivalent American expression of this?
"Ménager la chèvre et le chou." Translated as, "Accommodating the goat and the cabbage," trying to please both sides in a situation where the two parties are in fact irreconcilable. It is equivalent to the English expression, "running with the hare and hunting with the hounds," but it is a lot more common.

Julia Child always used cooking to demonstrate her delight in life. As she once said, "If you're afraid of butter, just put in some cream." I love her for that!