IdiomDaily Life
French
FrenchUn capitaine d'industrie
Meaning: The head of a large company.
Literally: A captain of industry
Example: “Ce capitaine d'industrie possède trois usines dans la région.” — This captain of industry owns three factories in the region.
English equivalent: A captain of industry
Equivalents in other languages
English: a captain of industry
Origin: A calque of the English captain of industry, coined by Thomas Carlyle in Past and Present (1843) for the new industrial magnates he cast as a successor aristocracy. French took the phrase in the 19th century, keeping the military metaphor of a man commanding an enterprise like a ship.
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- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. An 's' / 'si' minefield.
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