Meanings
- Too much of a good thing.
"Perdrix, perdrix, toujours perdrix." "Roose, Roose, toujours Roose, Robson Roose."
1886, The Pall Mall Budget. No. 941.–Vol. XXXIV. Thursday, October 7, 1886, p. 3 (Google US)4 more examples
"Toujours perdrix," is a complaint which we particularly wish to avoid in our embellishments.
1842, “The New Sporting Magazine New Series. Vol. II. Published by R. Ackermann”, in Google, page 262"I am sorry we did not see him," cried Paula ; "he is a very nice young man : as to the General he is toujours perdrix."
1851, “The compulsory marriage; and its consequences. A novel. In three volumes. Vol. I.”, in Google, London, page 286"Toujours perdrix !" She turned, laughing at the surprise, and flushing with pleasure.
1872, “The Argosy. Edited by Mrs. Henry Wood. Volume XIV. July to December, 1872”, in Google, London, page 60Toujours Perdrix ! That's loving to satiety– There is no fun in life without variety !
1848, The New Monthly Magazine and Humorist. Edited by Harrison Ainsworth. Vol. 84. Being the Third Part For 1848, London, p. 40 (Google, Google)
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
A pseudo-Gallicism derived from toujours + perdrix, literally “always partridge”. The phrase is not used in French.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
toujours perdrix. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toujours%20perdrix
“toujours perdrix.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toujours%20perdrix. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “toujours perdrix,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/toujours%20perdrix.
Source: toujours perdrix on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.