Un coup de Jarnac
Meaning: An unexpected decisive stroke, delivered within the rules but not quite sportingly.
Language: French
Literally: A Jarnac blow
Category: Daily Life
Origin: In a judicial duel of 1547 before Henri II, Guy Chabot de Jarnac won by an unforeseen low cut to his opponent's knee. The stroke was legal, which is exactly why the phrase carries ambiguity rather than simple condemnation.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Jeux de mains, jeux de vilains — Horseplay ends badly.
- On ne peut être juge et partie — Nobody may rule on a matter in which they have an interest.
- Un jugement de Salomon — A ruling of great wisdom that exposes the truth by testing it.
- C'est kif-kif — It makes no difference at all.
- Une fine lame — A highly skilled practitioner.
- Sur l'air des lampions — Chanted rhythmically on three insistent notes, as a crowd does.
More French idioms
- Perdre son latin — To be completely baffled by something.
- Se reposer sur ses lauriers — To coast on past achievements instead of continuing to work.
- Au pied de la lettre / À la lettre — Literally, in the strictest sense.
- Entrer en lice — To join a contest or dispute.
- Se faire limoger — To be relieved of a post; to be sacked.
- Laver son linge sale en famille — Keep internal disputes private.
From our false friends
- Pain — Actually means 'bread'. The hurting kind of pain is la douleur.
- Coin — Actually means 'corner'. A coin you spend is une pièce.
- Chance — Actually means 'luck'. Bonne chance! = Good luck! For chance (probability), say une possi…
Loading the full interactive collection…