Literal translation
to have the white of the leek
Meaning
to be lucky, well off
Explanation
A leek has a white part, tender and flavorful, and a green part, tougher and less prized in cooking. Agué lou blanc dóu pòrri thus means getting the best share, the part everyone wants, leaving the rest considered of lesser value. The image draws on a very concrete culinary background, that of the garden and the stewpot, where cooks naturally sort the pieces worth keeping from those set aside or put to other uses. By figurative extension, the expression describes a lucky person, well placed in life, who consistently ends up with the best part of whatever comes along, whether an inheritance, a division of goods, or favorable circumstances. The register is familiar and often admiring or slightly envious, used in everyday talk to comment on someone's repeated good fortune. It reflects Provençal's taste for images drawn from the vegetable garden and the kitchen.