IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchBattre en brèche
Meaning: To attack a position or argument until it collapses.
Literally: To beat into a breach
Example: “Cette nouvelle étude bat en brèche l'idée que le café fait grandir moins vite.” — This new study demolishes the idea that coffee stunts your growth.
English equivalent: To shoot something down in flames
Equivalents in other languages
English: shoot down in flames
Origin: Siege artillery concentrated fire on one section of a wall to open a breach for the assault. Applied to argument, it describes methodical demolition of a single point rather than scattered objection.
More French idioms
- Fumer le calumet de la paix To make peace after a quarrel.
- Enterrer la hache de guerre To end a feud and set hostilities aside.
- Carpe diem Make the most of the present rather than counting on the future.
- S'aplatir comme une carpette To grovel; to let oneself be walked over.
- Rester sur le carreau To be knocked out of the running; to be left for dead.
- Rouler carrosse To live in grand style.
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Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.
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