IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchD'estoc et de taille
Meaning: With everything one has, by every available means.
Literally: With point and with edge
Example: “L'avocate s'est battue d'estoc et de taille pour faire libérer son client.” — The lawyer fought hammer and tongs to get her client released.
English equivalent: Hammer and tongs
Equivalents in other languages
English: hammer and tongs
Spanish: dale que te pego Literally: Hit that I hit you
Origin: The two ways of using a sword: estoc is the thrust with the point, taille the cut with the edge. Fighting with both meant abandoning any restriction on method.
More French idioms
- Le fer de lance The leading element of an effort; the part that goes in first.
- Avoir le feu sacré To be driven by genuine, burning vocation.
- Être tout feu tout flamme To be full of ardent enthusiasm.
- Faire fi de quelque chose To scorn something; to dismiss it as beneath notice.
- Des grosses ficelles Crude, obvious tricks that fool nobody.
- Cousu de fil blanc So obvious that the deception is plainly visible.
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