Cherchez la femme

Cherchez la femme is a French phrase which literally means 'look for the woman'. It is a cliche in detective fiction, used to suggest that a mystery can be resolved by identifying a femme fatale or female love interest. Origin of the phrase The expression comes from the novel The Mohicans of Paris (Les Mohicans de Paris) published 1854–1859 by Alexandre Dumas (père). The phrase is repeated several times in the novel; the first use reads: Cherchez la femme, pardieu! cherchez la femme! Look for the woman, by God! Look for the woman! Dumas also used the phrase in his 1864 theatrical adaptation: