Literal translation
to fall from the fig tree
Meaning
to be caught completely off guard, a little disappointed
Explanation
This expression means to be caught completely off guard and a little disappointed, or, in a second sense, to look naive and ignorant, both nuances stemming from the same image of an unexpected fall. Falling from a fig tree, a common sight in the Provençal landscape, evokes a sudden tumble one was not prepared for, as when climbing to pick fruit and suddenly finding oneself thrown to the ground: figuratively, this fall names the shock of learning unpleasant news one did not expect. The second, more disparaging sense describes someone who seems to drop out of the sky, unaware of the most basic facts of their surroundings, as though just arrived from some isolated place without knowing common customs, the Provençal equivalent of the French sortir de sa campagne. The register is familiar, used to comment with a touch of irony on a reaction of disappointed surprise or on an ignorance judged laughable. The reported usage examples, one about unpleasant surprise on reading bad news, the other mocking a fool who always seems to have just crawled out of his hole, illustrate the flexibility of this image between a one-off disappointment and a broader judgment of character.