IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchDe but en blanc
Meaning: Point-blank; abruptly and without preparation.
Literally: From butt to white
Example: “Au milieu du dîner, elle m'a demandé de but en blanc si j'étais heureux.” — Halfway through dinner, she asked me point-blank if I was happy.
English equivalent: Out of the blue
Other ways to say this
Ukrainian: Як сніг на голову (Yak snih na holovu) Literally: Like snow on the head
English: out of the blue- French: Sans crier gare Literally: Without crying look-out
Origin: From archery and early gunnery, where the but was the mound the target stood on and the blanc the white center. A shot taken straight from one to the other travels flat, without the arc of a ranged shot — hence directness.
More French idioms
- Rester sur le carreau To be knocked out of the running; to be left for dead.
- Rouler carrosse To live in grand style.
- Donner carte blanche To grant someone complete freedom to act as they see fit.
- Tourner casaque To switch sides or change allegiance.
- Retourner sa veste To change one's allegiance opportunistically.
- Coiffer Sainte Catherine To reach twenty-five while still unmarried — said of a woman.
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