IdiomDaily LifeFrench

Remettre les pendules à l'heure

Meaning: To set the record straight and restore order.

Literally: To set the clocks back to the right time

Example: “Après les rumeurs, la présidente a convoqué l'équipe pour remettre les pendules à l'heure.” — After the rumors, the president called the team together to set the record straight.

English equivalent: To set the record straight

Equivalents in other languages

Origin: Clocks that have drifted apart give everyone a different account of when things happened. Resetting them is asserting a single authoritative version.

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