c'est cadeau/c'est un cadeau

Meaning: it's free, it's on the house
Literal translation: it's gift

Notes: The French expression c'est cadeau means that something is a gift, but not a personal one.

Rather, it's something that a store or restaurant is giving you - what is often redundantly called "a free gift." Note the lack of an article: c'est cadeau and c'est un cadeau have slightly different meanings.

C'est cadeau means that a business is giving you something for free, whereas c'est un cadeau means that someone you (probably) know - a friend, a family member - is giving you a gift. Examples:

-Achetez deux croissants et le café, c'est cadeau !
- Buy two croissants and the coffee's on the house!

c'est dans la poche!

Expression: C'est dans la poche

Pronunciation: [say da(n) la puhsh]

Meaning: it's in the bag, a sure thing, a done deal

Literal translation: it's in the pocket

Register: informal

Notes: I like the French expression c'est dans la poche better than its English equivalent "it's in the bag." It seems to me that something in your pocket is more "owned" than something in a bag, and since it's also closer to you it's harder to take away.

Examples:

Je sais qu'il va gagner - c'est dans la poche !
I know he's going to win - it's in the bag!

- Tu n'as pas encore fait tes achats de Noël ?
- Non, mais Michel va m'aider. C'est dans la poche !
- You haven't done your Christmas shopping yet?
- No, but Michel is going to help me. It's a done deal!

Related: avoir quelque chose en poche / dans sa poche - to be assured of success, to have something all sewed up

si tu veux, si l'on veut...

Expression: Si tu veux, si l'on veut...
Alternatives: Si vous voulez, Si l'on veut

Meaning: if you will

Literal translation: if you want

register: informal (with tu), normal (with vous or on)

Notes: The French expression si tu veux can be used literally or figuratively. Literally, of course, it just means "if you want": Tu peux venir avec nous si tu veux - "You can come with us if you want." The more interesting meanings occur when this expression is used more figuratively:

1. As a filler to indicate that you're aware of your listeners' presence, to include them in what you're saying or how you reasoned something out:

Commençons aujourd'hui, si vous voulez, avec une présentation sur le surréalisme.
Today, let's begin / how about if we begin with a presentation on surrealism.

C'est un conflit d'intérêts, si tu veux, et nous ne pouvons pas travailler ensemble.
It's a conflict of interest, and (so) we can't work together.

2. As a way of hedging while providing detail or clarification:

Si tu veux, son problème majeur est qu'il n'a jamais compris les règles.
His biggest problem, if you will, is that he never understood the rules.

Cette peinture décrit, si l'on veut, les tempêtes de l'artiste.
This painting describes, if you will, the artist's inner turmoil.

C'était une décision inhabituelle ou, si vous voulez, illogique.
It was an unusual or even illogical decision.

Variations: Si tu le veux, Si vous le voulez, Si tu le veux bien, Si vous le voulez bien