Literal Translation
To be at the ‘bourre’
Actual Meaning
To be late or in a rush (colloquial)
Etymology
Linguists trace the idiom’s origins to the Occitans, who played a card game called ‘la bourre’. When looking for someone who was absent, the answer was “es a la borra”, meaning “they’re playing bourre”, which explained their lateness and that they ought to hurry.