Mots difficiles en anglais

a chicken and egg problem

histoire de la poule et de l'oeuf. « It’s a chicken and egg situation : if a child is uninterested in a subject, then they find it hard to learn and if they find it hard to learn then they find it difficult to stay interested. »

a tad

un tantinet. It was a tad confusing = c'était un tantinet déroutant. a tad more expensive = un poil plus cher  

abduction

enlèvement he reported the abduction of his son.
child abduction = enlèvement d'enfant he faces charges of child abduction.
alien abduction = enlèvement par des extra-terrestres.

ablaze

en feu, en flamme. « A region ablaze with ethnic violence. »
to be ablaze = flamber. « The tents were ablaze. »
ablaze with light = resplendissant de lumière. « The chamber was ablaze with light. »
to be ablaze with colour = offrir une débauche de couleurs « In spring, the valleys are ablaze with colour. »

acorn

acorngland (de chêne). « Acorns will germinate and grow into oaks. »

acumen

perspicacité
business acumen = sens des affaires
political acumen = sens de la politique → « He is famed for his political acumen and will be a vital link with the Americans. »

adamant

inflexible « The judge was adamant. » « The government is adamant that it will not yield to pressure. »

ado

without further ado, without more ado = sans plus de cérémonie  
much ado about nothing = beaucoup de bruit pour rien

advocate

défenseur, partisan  « a leading advocate of free enterprise. »
to play devil's advocate : se faire avocat du diable.
to advocate : recommander, prôner  « he advocated the creation of a peace-keeping force. »

AFAIK

As Far As I Know

aftermath

conséquences
in the aftermath of sth = à la suite de qch in the aftermath of the war, the country was ruined.

aisle

allée centrale, nef
to walk down the aisle = se marier « He was in no hurry to walk down the aisle. »

aka

alias (also known as)

akin

semblable « genius and madness are akin. »
akin to : semblable à « something akin to gratitude overwhelmed her. »

albeit

bien que, encore que → « He is only an interior decorator, albeit a rather good one. »

ale

bière
brown ale = bière brune 
light ale = bière blonde
 half pint of ale = demi

allure

attrait « The allure of Egypt » « It's a game that has really lost its allure. »
charme « The captivating allure of Isabelle Adjani. »
sexual allure = pouvoir de séduction « A wily, low-born governess who uses her sexual allure to climb the society ladder. »

aloof

distant « he became aloof and silent ». « I didn't like her much. I thought she was aloof. »   
to remain aloof = rester à l'écart « They remained aloof from the controversy ».
aloofness = attitude distante, réserve

aluminium foil

papier d'aluminium (=kitchen foil =silver foil)

amenities

agréments, équipements urban amenities

amid

au milieu de, parmi « a tiny bungalow amid clusters of trees. »  « She was sitting amid a swarm of photographers. » « Children were changing classrooms amid laughter and shouts. »

anchor

[+TV, radio] présentateur (= anchorman)
to anchor = présenter

apace

rapidement « My teacher helped me moving along apace. » « Negotiations were continuing apace. »

appalling

[conditions, weather, injuries, tragedy] épouvantable
[stupidity, ignorance, behaviour] affligeant « their appalling ignorance about basic hygiene » « She's an appalling cook » (= elle est très mauvaise cuisinière).

archnemesis

ennemi juré, pire ennemi. « My brother is my archnemesis. »

arguably

sans doute « this is arguably the most serious issue of our time.  » « Windsor, arguably Canada's hottest city, recorded its warmest July ever. »

arousing

(sexually) excitant

arson

arsonincendie criminel. « He was charged with arson. »

as easy as pie

bête comme chou, simple comme bonjour
it's easy as pie = c'est du gâteau

astounding

stupéfiant, étonnant

authoring

réalisation Web

awe

respect mêlé de crainte, admiration. « He is remembered with affection and awe by the students. »
to be in awe of sb/sth = être en admiration devant qn/qch. « She is in awe of his learning. »
to be awed = être impressionné, être effrayé « I am awed by David's courage. »
awestruck : frappé d'admiration, fasciné « Every time I visit I am awestruck by the immense potential of this region and its people. »

awkward

gauche, maladroit, malhabile, emprunté, gênant.
to feel awkward = se sentir mal à l'aise.
awkward situation = situation gênante.
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