Literal translation
to make chine
Meaning
to give someone a leg up
Explanation
This phrase means 'to give someone a leg up', that is, to offer one's back or joined hands to someone so they can climb higher, for instance to get over a wall or reach a branch. The word used here names the chine, the cut of meat taken along an animal's spine, and by extension evokes here the back lent to someone else as a support, a surface to step on. The image matches directly the English 'leg up' or 'boost', both languages naming the same gesture of physical mutual aid by referring to the body used as a temporary foothold, which shows a widely shared practice and way of naming it across the Romance-speaking world. The expression belongs to everyday register, associated with children's games, small chores, or situations where a real ladder is missing and people help each other through this simple means. It carries no negative connotation and refers to a perfectly ordinary gesture of physical cooperation in daily life.