The French idiom Il n’y a pas le feu au lac [il n‿j‿a pa l(ə) fø o lak], or literally “There’s no fire on the lake”, is used when there is no hurry to do something. It could be translated as “What’s the big hurry?”, “What’s the rush?” or “Where’s the fire?”.
It has been used since the mid-20th century and apparently refers to Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) in Switzerland and the inability of Swiss people to hurry even in an emergency. It is also sarcastic in suggesting that water might be on fire [source].
Variations on this idiom, and phrases with similar meanings, include:
- Il n’y a pas le feu = There’s no fire (on the lake)
- Ya pas l’feu = There’s no fire (informal pronunciation)
- Il n’y a pas de quoi paniquer = There’s no reason to panic
- Il n’y a pas de quoi fouetter un chat = That’s not a reason to whip a cat
- Rien ne presse = There’s no hurry, there’s no need to hurry
- Ça ne presse pas = There’s no hurry / rush
Are there any interesting idioms in other languages involving fiery lakes?