Literal translation
he puts himself into four
Meaning
he goes out of his way, bends over backwards
Explanation
The expression means putting in every possible effort, sparing no trouble, to help or please someone. Literally, se met en quatre translates identically as he puts himself into four: the image, transparent and shared between French and Provençal, suggests the idea of splitting oneself, multiplying oneself, as though a single person had to divide into four to accomplish more tasks at once. The number four carries no precise symbolic value in this phrase; it mainly works as an intensifier, marking an effort well beyond the ordinary measure. The register is common, used with a positive and often affectionate shade, to praise someone's devotion or generosity as they bustle about tirelessly for another's sake. It appears in contexts of family help, a favor done for a neighbor, or professional zeal, whenever the energy spent exceeds what the task strictly required.