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clé d’opérateur SIM
2ème monte

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

d'un coup sec

English translation:

one fell swoop

Added to glossary by Barbara Cochran, MFA
Jan 24, 2008 15:11
16 yrs ago
3 viewers *
French term

d'un coup sec

Non-PRO French to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings Carolingian History
Contexte:

"Nous racontons plus loin, dans le scénario de la damnatio memoriae, l'arrivée vers 1140 des cisterciens français, envoyés par le puissant Suger pour détruire la ville. Désirant se débarrasser **d'un coup sec** du dieu Grannus et de la mémoire encombrante des Carolingiens."

Is this something like "one fell swoop?"

Merci!

femme
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 one fell swoop
4 decisively; once and for all
3 in one quick move
Change log

Jan 24, 2008 15:36: Tony M changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Jan 24, 2008 15:41: Tony M changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Jan 31, 2008 04:45: Barbara Cochran, MFA Created KOG entry

Discussion

María Teresa Taylor Oliver Jan 24, 2008:
Here's another explanation for "one fell swoop" (not that the Word Detective isn't excellent, by the way!): http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/50500.html
Barbara Cochran, MFA (asker) Jan 24, 2008:
LOL, Ingeborg! I wish I could since it's been over a year since I've had the time to help anybody out on proz. I really need to do that since so many have helped me out over the past couple of years on this site.
Ingeborg Gowans (X) Jan 24, 2008:
since you yourself had the right idea, you can award yourself points!
Michael GREEN Jan 24, 2008:
Thanks for that link, B D - and the explanation
B D Finch Jan 24, 2008:
Yes. Give yourself 4 points. "the "fell" of "fell swoop" doesn't mean that something "fell." Instead, the "fell" of "fell swoop" comes from an Old French word "fel," meaning grim, merciless, or terrible." http://www.word-detective.com/back-c.html

Proposed translations

+4
13 mins
Selected

one fell swoop

Yes, it is "in one fell swoop"....I understand it as "in a single and quick action".
Peer comment(s):
agree Gacela20
3 mins
agree NancyLynn
1 hr
agree Jean-Claude Gouin
1 hr
agree Lany Chabot-Laroche
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks for your confirmation!"
50 mins

decisively; once and for all

Collind reverso gives "sharply" http://dictionary.reverso.net/french-english/sec

I think that the implication here is that he wants a decisive victory - to get rid of them once and for all. Hence my 2nd definition - I know that would normally be "une fois pour toutes", but there's always more than one way to ...
Something went wrong...
11 hrs

in one quick move

Hello,

I don't know why you couldn't say "in one quick move." That's litearlly what the French is saying, and it sounds like natural English.
Reference:

http://weedtwister.com/advanced.htm

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