This paper represents an attempt to explore the role of metaphors for idiomatic meaning. The point is illustrated by looking at how French somatic idioms such as ‘les bras croisés’ (arms crossed) and ‘arriver/venir comme un cheveu sur la soupe’ (to come like a hair in the soup) are translated in Russian dictionaries. It is considered how a combined Cognitive Theory of Metaphor and Conventional Figurative Language Theory can reveal new insights into the relationship between images and culture.