Expressions Flashcards
drill into one’s head
“ancrer dans la tête”, “inculquer”
The teacher drilled the math formulas into the students’ heads.
Parents often drill into their children’s heads the importance of being honest.
sharpen the mind
“aiguiser l’esprit”, “affûter l’esprit”, ou “stimuler l’esprit”.
Reading challenging books can help sharpen the mind.
He does puzzles every day to sharpen his mind.
get the gist
/ɡɛt ðə dʒɪst/
“comprendre l’essentiel”, “saisir le sens général”, ou “avoir une idée générale”.
I didn’t understand every word, but I got the gist of what she was saying.
He didn’t read the entire report, but he got the gist of it.
pick up a skill
“acquérir une compétence”, “apprendre une compétence”, ou “apprendre une aptitude”.
During the pandemic, many people picked up new skills, like cooking or playing an instrument.
pull an all-nighter
“passer une nuit blanche”.
I had to pull an all-nighter to finish my assignment on time.
She pulled an all-nighter studying for her exams.
rack your brain
“se creuser la tête” ou “se creuser les méninges”.
I’ve been racking my brain all day trying to remember where I put my keys.
ace a test
“réussir un test haut la main”, “cartonner à un examen”, ou “briller à un test”.
She studied hard and aced the test.
If you prepare well, you can ace any test.
How do you figure ?
“Comment en es-tu arrivé à cette conclusion ?” ou “Comment expliques-tu cela ?”.
“He must be guilty because he was the last one there.” — “How do you figure?”
“work hard, play hard”
“Travailler dur, s’amuser fort” ou “Travailler dur et profiter à fond”.
He lives by the motto “work hard, play hard,” balancing his career with exciting adventures on the weekends.
“All in a day’s work”
“C’est la routine”, “Ça fait partie du travail”, ou “Rien d’extraordinaire”.
“You saved three lives today!” — “All in a day’s work.”
Fixing these machines is all in a day’s work for me.
Give it a rest
- “Laisse tomber”
- “Arrête un peu”
You’ve been complaining about this all day, give it a rest!
- “Arrête un peu”
Take a breather
“faire une pause” ou “reprendre son souffle”
You’ve been working hard all day, take a breather and relax for a few minutes.
a change of pace
“un changement de rythme” ou “un changement d’activité”
Taking a weekend trip to the countryside would be a nice change of pace from city life.
All work and no play
“Trop de travail et pas assez de détente”
All work and no play can lead to burnout and stress.
Work to live, not live to work
“Travailler pour vivre, et non vivre pour travailler”
How do you figure?
“Comment en es-tu arrivé à cette conclusion ?” ou “Comment expliques-tu cela ?”.
“He must be guilty because he was the last one there.” — “How do you figure?”
Synonymes en anglais :
1. How do you come to that conclusion?
2. What makes you think that?
in the driver’s seat
“être aux commandes” ou “être en position de contrôle”.
After the promotion, she was in the driver’s seat of the project.
With a strong majority in the parliament, the party is now in the driver’s seat.
call the shots
“prendre les décisions” ou “être celui qui décide”
In this company, the CEO is the one who calls the shots.
If you want to call the shots, you need to be prepared for the responsibility.
run a tight ship
“gérer de manière stricte et efficace” ou “diriger avec discipline”.
The new manager runs a tight ship, and now the team is more productive.
She runs a tight ship, so there’s no room for mistakes.
keep a level head
“garder son calme” ou “rester posé”,
In stressful situations, it’s important to keep a level head.
He always keeps a level head, even when things get difficult.
show the ropes
“montrer les ficelles” ou “apprendre les bases” à quelqu’un.
On her first day at work, a colleague showed her the ropes.
take the lead
“prendre l’initiative” ou “prendre la direction” d’une situation ou d’un projet
She decided to take the lead on the project and organize the team.
rally the troops
“mobiliser les troupes” ou “motiver les gens”,
The manager rallied the troops before the big presentation to boost their confidence.
set the bar
“fixer la barre” ou “établir un standard”
He always sets the bar low to ensure he meets expectations.
lead the way
“montrer la voie” ou “ouvrir la marche”
She led the way to the meeting room, showing the new employees where to go.
“walk the walk, talk the talk”
“joindre le geste à la parole” ou “faire ce qu’on dit”. utilisée pour décrire quelqu’un qui non seulement parle de faire quelque chose, mais qui met aussi ses paroles en action, montrant ainsi une cohérence entre ce qu’il dit et ce qu’il fait.
If you’re going to lead, you need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
don’t do too much
“n’en fais pas trop” ou “ne te surcharge pas”
Take it easy today—don’t do too much.
You’re already doing a lot; don’t do too much and burn yourself out.
in no time
“en un rien de temps” ou “très rapidement”.
If we work together, we’ll finish this project in no time.
The train will be here in no time, so get ready.
pave the way for
“ouvrir la voie à” ou “préparer le terrain pour” quelque chose
The new policy paves the way for a more sustainable economy.
to pay tribute
“rendre hommage”, “honorer”, ou “exprimer sa gratitude”
“The community paid tribute to the firefighters for their bravery.”
to go bananas
expression informelle en anglais qui signifie “devenir fou”, “perdre la tête”, ou “s’exciter énormément”, selon le contexte.
“The kids went bananas when they saw the magician.”
“He went bananas when he realized he had locked his keys in the car.”
“My boss went bananas when I missed the deadline.”
to go crash
S’écraser ou avoir un accident
“If you drive too fast, you might go crash into the wall.”
to go crazy
“devenir fou”, “s’énerver”, ou “s’exciter énormément”
“The crowd went crazy when the band started playing their biggest hit.”
“My parents went crazy when they found out I skipped school.”
to fall short of
ne pas être à la hauteur de”, “ne pas atteindre”, ou “ne pas répondre à
“The company’s sales fell short of expectations this quarter.”
“The movie was good, but it fell short of the critics’ high praise.”
“The team fell short of winning the championship by just one point.”
to go extinct
“disparaître”, “s’éteindre”, ou “être exterminé”
“Many species have gone extinct due to deforestation and climate change.”
“If we don’t support local bookstores, they might go extinct.”
syn: “Die out”
“to make matters worse”
“aggraver les choses”, “empirer la situation”, ou “rendre les choses encore plus difficiles”.
“I was already late for the meeting, and to make matters worse, my car broke down.”
go so far as to
“aller jusqu’à” ou “oser faire quelque chose d’audacieux ou extrême”
“He went so far as to accuse his best friend of lying.”
“The protesters went so far as to block the entrance to the building.”
to ruffle some feathers
“froisser quelqu’un”, “déranger”, ou “provoquer des tensions ou des mécontentements”.
“The new manager’s changes ruffled a few feathers among the staff.”
“Day in, day out”
“jour après jour”, “quotidiennement”, ou “sans relâche”.
“She works hard day in, day out to support her family.”
“I’m tired of doing the same tasks day in, day out.”
“Around the clock” “24/7”
“Jour et nuit”, “24 heures sur 24”.
syn: “24 hours a day”
to be alike
pour indiquer que deux ou plusieurs choses ou personnes sont similaires, semblables, ou pareilles.
“The twins are so alike that it’s hard to tell them apart.”
“Their ideas are alike in many ways.”
for the sake
Dans l’intérêt de, pour le bien de
“She stayed in the job for the sake of her children.”
to be set
Être prêt, être préparé
“We’re all set for the trip tomorrow.”
Être fixé, établi
“The date for the meeting is set for next Monday.”
to fall prey to
Devenir la proie de, être victime de
“Many people fell prey to the scam and lost their savings.”
off limits
Interdit, inaccessible
“The construction site is off limits to unauthorized personnel.”
Tabou, sujet à éviter
“Politics is off limits at family gatherings.”
to set the tone
Donner le ton
“Her welcoming speech set the tone for the entire conference.”
off the table
Exclu, non envisageable
The offer is now off the table after the deadline passed.
Negotiations continued, but a peace deal was off the table.
To send shock waves
Envoyer des ondes de choc ou provoquer des remous (sens figuré).
The scandal sent shock waves through the entire community.
The assassination of the president sent shock waves across the nation.
Recent financial instability in South-East Asia has sent shock waves around the world.
Long-standing
de longue date, ancien, établi
“We want to turn the page on this long-standing dispute.”
“It’s been our long-standing policy not to allow pets at the hotel.”
“This has been one of the long-standing challenges.”
Long-standing
Or
Long-lasting
long-standing emphasizes existence and stability, while long-lasting focuses on durability and persistence.
Examples of Long-Standing Agreements
- Strategic Partnerships: Companies like Airbus have long-standing partnerships with suppliers to ensure stability and innovation in their supply chains.
- United Nations Procurement: The UN uses long-term agreements for goods and services like IT consulting, office supplies, and telecommunications.
- Business Contracts: Long-term contracts in business partnerships ensure stability and minimize errors, often lasting multiple years.
- Supply Chain Management: Companies use long-term supply agreements to secure consistent supplies and reduce risks.
Examples of Long-Lasting Products
- Kitchen Appliances: KitchenAid stand mixers and Vitamix blenders are renowned for their durability and long-lasting performance.
- Outdoor Gear: High-quality backpacks from brands like REI and Patagonia are designed to withstand harsh conditions over time.
- Furniture: Well-made furniture from companies like Ethan Allen ensures longevity and style.
- Cars: Models from Toyota and Honda are celebrated for their reliability and long-lasting performance.
- Clothing: Brands like Patagonia and Levi’s offer durable clothing that resists wear and tear.
- Water Bottles: Nalgene water bottles are known for their durability and long-lasting use.
- Electronics: Some electronics, such as high-quality smartphones, are designed to last longer with proper care.
To take a dramatic step
Prendre une mesure spectaculaire
Germany has taken a dramatic step by voting to suspend its constitutional “debt brake,” unlocking an estimated €600 billion (euros) for defense over the next decade.
The government took a dramatic step by implementing a new policy to address the economic crisis.
A virologist took a dramatic step to treat her cancer by using experimental virus preparations
Chancellor-in-waiting
Premier ministre en attente
In-waiting
En attente
“The prelates who were in waiting asked him to take the last rites”.
“The thrill for me was in the waiting”
Turning point
Tournant
“Winning that game was the turning point of the team’s season”.
“The promotion marked a turning point in her career”.
“Rosa Parks’s bus protest was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement”
Political goose cooked
Signifie qu’une carrière ou une situation politique est irrémédiablement compromise. En français, elle pourrait se traduire par “la fin politique est actée” ou “la carrière politique est fichue”.
- “After the scandal broke, the senator’s political goose was cooked.”
- “Marine Le Pen’s conviction has ensured that her political goose is cooked for the next presidential election.”
- “With mounting evidence against Trump, legal experts say his political goose is cooked.”
Out in the open
A découvert
“The garden party was held out in the open on the spacious lawn”.
“Now that the truth is out in the open, we can discuss it openly”.
“Don’t get caught out in the open during a thunderstorm”.
to go dark
cesser toute activité ou communication ; s’éteindre.
For the first time in 83 years, Voice of America has gone dark.
Theatres have gone dark, and arts groups have struggled to survive during the pandemic
to counter
Répliquer : dans un contexte verbal ou argumentatif.
The international broadcaster, launched in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda and long considered a symbol of American freedom.
The government introduced new measures to counter the rise in inflation
broadcaster
Un présentateur, personnalité de la radio ou de la télévision.
Une chaîne ou station qui diffuse des programmes.
The veteran broadcaster has dominated the local television news ratings for 30 years.
She became a broadcaster for a national radio station shortly after graduating
to bypass
contourner, éviter.
The hacker managed to bypass the security system.
They decided to bypass the congested city center by taking a different route.
He bypassed his manager and went straight to the CEO with his proposal
halting (n) - halting (adj)
Halting (nom) : arrêt, interruption
The halting of production caused significant delays in the supply chain.
The sudden halting of the conversation left everyone in awkward silence.
halding (aj) hésitant, saccadé, interrompu.
He spoke in halting English, struggling to find the right words
The toddler took his first few halting steps across the room
.
looping
boucle, répétition, ou looping
The video was set on looping to play the same scene repeatedly
A looping music feed replacing news in 49 languages
feed
Flux d’informations ou de données, comme dans un flux satellite ou un fil d’actualité.
The halting of global broadcasts, and a looping music feed replacing news in 49 languages
nourrir, alimenter (verbe) ; nourriture, alimentation, flux (nom).
These social media companies are feeding us content and we’re
fear of favor
crainte de favoritisme ou peur d’accorder une faveur.
to hang over
planer sur, peser sur, suspendre au-dessus.
The possibility of losing his job was hanging over him
How can we continue to report without fear or favor with this hanging over us?
The decision will hang over until next week
chart (n)
charte (document officiel), location ou contrat (nom).
Both journalists pointed to the VOA charter, which protects editorial independence.ss
to slim
To make thinner or reduce in size: Amincir ou réduire.
She started exercising to slim her waistline
To slim down
perdre du poids, amincir (pour une personne) ; réduire, alléger (pour une organisation ou un objet).
She slimmed down to 60 kilos before her wedding.
The company is slimming down its workforce.
I am running a little late
Je vais avoir un peu de retard / Je suis un peu en retard
“Sorry, I am running a little late. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“I am running a little late because of traffic.”
“Text your boss if you are running a little late to work.”
who do you think will prevail ?
Qui penses-tu (ou pensez-vous) qui l’emportera ? / Selon toi (ou vous), qui va gagner ?
“The two teams are evenly matched—who do you think will prevail?”
“With both candidates so close in the polls, who do you think will prevail in the election?”
“After months of negotiations, who do you think will prevail in the end?”
a shortened attention span
/ə ˈʃɔr.tənd əˈtɛn.ʃən spæn/
une capacité d’attention réduite
“A shortened attention span can make it difficult to focus on tasks for any length of time without becoming easily distracted.”
“With the rise of technology and constant digital distractions, many people report having a shortened attention span.”
multitasker
personne multitâche / multitâche
