- tas
- n. m.1. 'Ugly biddy', ungainly woman.2. Gros tas: 'Fatso', corpulent person (also: gros plein de soupe).3. Bonsoir tout le tas! Evenin' all! (Like the English, the French has a slight touch of irony.)4. Tas de ferraille: 'Heap', 'banger', decrepit motor car.5. Etre sur le tas: To be at one's job, to be at work.6. Se retrouver sur le tas: To find oneself out of work. (This expression, diametrically in contradiction with être sur le tas, conjures up the image of the 'scrap-heap of life'.)7. Sécher sur le tas: To be 'left cooling one's heels', to wait in vain.8. Prendre quelqu'un sur le tas: To catch someone red-handed. Etre fait sur le tas: To be caught in the act.9. Taper dans le tas:a To 'lash out blindly', to hit out at the first available target.b To choose at random.c To make a wild guess.10. Piquer dans le tas: To pick freely, to choose at random.11. Faire le tas (of prostitute): To be 'on the job', to go soliciting (also: faire le trottoir).12. Une grève sur le tas: A 'sit-down' strike (occupation/take-over of factory).13. Un tas de/des tas de: 'Heaps of', 'oodles', vast quantities of.14. Sur le tas! 'Pronto!'— Straight away! — Immediately!
Dictionary of Modern Colloquial French. 2013.