de but en blanc

English translation: out of the blue, outright

09:22 May 28, 2020
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
French term or phrase: de but en blanc
Extrait

"Et si vous êtes tous si surpris lorsque quelque chose vous arrive, et que vous avez l'impression que ce n'est pas ce que vous vouliez, il est très possible que cela soit simplement dû à la confusion de vos propres intentions : vous ne savez pas ce que vous voulez, il vous serait surement bien ardu de le définir clairement si cela vous était demandé de but en blanc"

Just to remind, "de but en blanc" here means "to say / ask something suddenly, in a direct manner, without warning". And I'm wondering if there could be a English phrase to render that

Thank you all
Hugues Roumier
France
Local time: 22:16
English translation:out of the blue, outright
Explanation:
to spring something on somebody, to ask point-blank/outright
Selected response from:

Shilpa Dawda
India
Local time: 02:46
Grading comment
Thanks Shilpa!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +8out of the blue, outright
Shilpa Dawda
4 +1off the top of your head - off the cuff
polyglot45
3 +1unexpectedly/ suddenly/without prior notice
Lisa Rosengard
Summary of reference entries provided
dictionaries (two among others)
writeaway

  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +8
out of the blue, outright


Explanation:
to spring something on somebody, to ask point-blank/outright

Shilpa Dawda
India
Local time: 02:46
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Thanks Shilpa!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nicky Over: I think "out of the blue" sounds good. It has the idea of having no warning.
2 mins

agree  SafeTex: both are fine
33 mins

agree  Mollie Milesi: Point blank or outright would be excellent. The others, not so much.
2 hrs

agree  Yvonne Gallagher: agree ONLY with "out of the blue"
5 hrs

agree  Paul Stevens: I also like "out of the blue"
5 hrs

agree  katsy: out of the blue is my preference
9 hrs

agree  Lara Barnett
11 hrs

agree  AllegroTrans: out of the blue
12 hrs
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
off the top of your head - off the cuff


Explanation:
other options

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Note added at 23 mins (2020-05-28 09:46:04 GMT)
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this is from the other end of the telescope - if you were asked to do so off the cuff

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 42

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cathy Rosamond: I like off the cuff.
3 hrs

neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: wrong end of telescope. Someone else asking you...
4 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
unexpectedly/ suddenly/without prior notice


Explanation:
I think it looks like it also means 'without prior notice'.

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Note added at 23 hrs (2020-05-29 08:50:41 GMT)
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En anglais 'off the cuff' peut vouloir dire qu'il l'a dit comme si les mots lui étaient arrivés de sa propre manche. Une autre possibilité pour traduire la phrase idiomatique est 'out of the blue' comme si cette phrase-là lui était arrivée du ciel. En cas où les phrases idiomatiques en anglais peuvent porter un petit peu d'un reproche j'ai choisi 'unexpectedly' comme 'inattendu'.

Example sentence(s):
  • Il vous serait durement bien ardu de le définir clairement si vous cela était demandé de but en blanc.
  • You would definitely find it difficult to clearly define it, if you were asked unexpectedly.
Lisa Rosengard
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:16
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: asker is looking for a match for the French idiomatic expression
2 hrs
  -> As matches for the French idiomatic expression 'off the cuff', 'out of the blue' and 'outright' are OK, but 'from the top of his head might be better'.

neutral  philgoddard: Once again, you're not reading the question or the previous answers.
2 hrs
  -> As matches for the French idiomatic expression 'off the cuff', 'out of the blue', 'outright' are OK, but 'from the top of his head' might be better.

agree  Wolf Draeger: If Asker wants an expression then "point-blank" is closest but "suddenly" is absolutely fine.
2 days 3 hrs
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Reference comments


3 hrs peer agreement (net): +3
Reference: dictionaries (two among others)

Reference information:
Robert-Collins (paid online subscription)
d (locutions)
♦ de but en blanc : suddenly ; point-blank ; just like that*
■ il me demanda de but en blanc si… : he asked me point-blank ou straight out if…

Larousse (free online)
de but en blanc
locution adverbiale
[demander] point-blank, suddenly
[rétorquer] bluntly
demanda-t-elle de but en blanc she suddenly asked
https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais/but/1...

writeaway
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  mchd
1 hr
agree  philgoddard
2 hrs
agree  Jennifer White
2 hrs
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