Mots difficiles en anglais
tame
apprivoisé « They've got a tame hedgehog. »
[story, style, match, film] fade « Some of today's political demonstrations look rather tame. »
apprivoiser, dompter, dresser « The Amazons were the first to tame horses. »
[story, style, match, film] fade « Some of today's political demonstrations look rather tame. »
apprivoiser, dompter, dresser « The Amazons were the first to tame horses. »
tenfold
décupler => The number of landmine incidents in Colombia has increased tenfold since 1991
titbit
potin She told me a juicy titbit about Claire.
moron
(péj.) imbécile, crétin, débile You moron! She's exactly the kind of moron you described.
holdout
principal obstacle.
France has been the holdout in trying to negotiate an end to the dispute.
waiver
dispense
feud
dispute a feud between the prime minister and his chancellor
a family feud
to feud (with) = se disputer, se quereller their families had feuded since their daughters quarrelled two years ago.
blood feud =vendetta
a family feud
to feud (with) = se disputer, se quereller their families had feuded since their daughters quarrelled two years ago.
blood feud =vendetta
whine
gémissement
[+siren, engine] hurlement the whine of air-raid sirens
pleurnicher, gémir The dog started to whine with impatience
[siren, engine] hurler The engines whined
[+siren, engine] hurlement the whine of air-raid sirens
pleurnicher, gémir The dog started to whine with impatience
[siren, engine] hurler The engines whined
to grovel
(fig.) ramper He whined and grovelled and apologised
to grovel before/to sb I don't grovel to anybody.
to grovel before/to sb I don't grovel to anybody.
to sting
[insect] piquer bees do not normally sting unless provoked. I've been stung.
silver lining
to have a silver lining = avoir de bons côtés
every cloud has a silver lining = à une chose, malheur est bon
every cloud has a silver lining = à une chose, malheur est bon
dam
barrage plans to build a dam on the River Danube
nipple
téton
dumpster
benne à ordures
foreclosure
saisie « after a foreclosure, »« homeowners are sometimes left with absolutely nothing »
coy
faussement effarouché, faussement timide
séducteur a coy little smile.
évasif to be coy over sth, to be coy about sth « The Chancellor was coy over the deal with the Prime Minister. »
séducteur a coy little smile.
évasif to be coy over sth, to be coy about sth « The Chancellor was coy over the deal with the Prime Minister. »
stride
enjambée, foulée he walked with long strides.
démarche he had a purposeful stride = Il avait une démarche décidée.
avancée a great stride has been taken towards our goal
démarche he had a purposeful stride = Il avait une démarche décidée.
avancée a great stride has been taken towards our goal
silver-tongued
éloquent a silver-tongued lawyer.
whip
fouet, cravache
to whip = battre to whip the cream
to crack the whip = to use one's authority to make someone work harder, usually by threatening or punishing them
whiplash = coup du lapin
to whip = battre to whip the cream
to crack the whip = to use one's authority to make someone work harder, usually by threatening or punishing them
whiplash = coup du lapin
wisecrack
vanne no more wisecracks!
to maul
mettre en pièces He was mauled by a bear He was mauled by the tabloids.
braces
brettelles
"belt and braces" = très prudent, qui garantit une sécurité maximum a belt-and-braces solution
accolades balanced braces
bracing = vivifiant
"belt and braces" = très prudent, qui garantit une sécurité maximum a belt-and-braces solution
accolades balanced braces
bracing = vivifiant
drab
[clothes] terne, morne Mary was wearing the same drab grey dress.
[room, place] glauque his drab little office
[life] monotone a way of escaping the tedium of their drab lives
[room, place] glauque his drab little office
[life] monotone a way of escaping the tedium of their drab lives
ramble
randonnée We were out on a country ramble an hour's ramble through the woods
to go for a ramble = faire une randonnée
to ramble = to hike I was rambling over the hills of Yorkshire.
to ramble on = déblatérer she began rambling on about her childhood.
to go for a ramble = faire une randonnée
to ramble = to hike I was rambling over the hills of Yorkshire.
to ramble on = déblatérer she began rambling on about her childhood.
craving
(for food, cigarettes) envie irrésistible
smokers feel cravings roughly an hour after the last cigarette
condone
fermer les yeux sur, approuver (tacitement) You cannot condone baby buying
hindrance
obstacle Being the daughter of a famous film star can be more of a hindrance than a help in getting your career off the ground.
skank
salope, pute
to daunt
intimider he was daunted by the high quality of work they expected
to baffle
laisser perplexe The question has baffled experts for years his reaction baffled me
«
»
baffling = déroutant, troublant « the most baffling medical mystery. »
»
baffling = déroutant, troublant « the most baffling medical mystery. »
shenanigans
combines Lynette thinks that our shenanigans have gotten a little out of hand
mojo
sex-appeal, charme
chance, bonne étoile
chance, bonne étoile
underdog
(=player, competitor, team) outsider
the underdog (in society) les opprimés Labour, constantly reassuring the middle class, was no longer the party of the underdog.
the underdog (in society) les opprimés Labour, constantly reassuring the middle class, was no longer the party of the underdog.
praise
éloge(s), faire l'éloge de qn many others praised Sanford for taking a strong stand.
shallow
[dish, water, grave] peu profond the shallow end = le petit bain
[person, mind, novel] superficiel, qui manque de profondeur
shallows = bas-fond thousands of little fish swim in the shallows.
[person, mind, novel] superficiel, qui manque de profondeur
shallows = bas-fond thousands of little fish swim in the shallows.
wack job
cinglé, psychopathe (péj.) Let's cross the street. We don't want to walk next to that wack job on the corner who's walking in circles and talking to himself.
cue
signal
that's my cue to = c'est le signal pour que je... When she coughs, it's my cue to get up out of the chair.
on cue = au bon moment
that's my cue to = c'est le signal pour que je... When she coughs, it's my cue to get up out of the chair.
on cue = au bon moment
deft
adroit
gist
essentiel
the gist of his speech = l'essentiel de son discours
to give sb the gist of sth = résumer qch à qn en deux mots I missed his speech; can you give me the gist of what he said?
the gist of his speech = l'essentiel de son discours
to give sb the gist of sth = résumer qch à qn en deux mots I missed his speech; can you give me the gist of what he said?
rule of thumb
méthode empirique, approximativement.
as a rule of thumb = en règle générale
by rule of thumb = à vue de nez
as a rule of thumb = en règle générale
by rule of thumb = à vue de nez
fang
[+dog, wolf] croc
[+snake] crochet the cobra sank its venomous fangs into his hand.
[+snake] crochet the cobra sank its venomous fangs into his hand.
to contend with sth
affronter qch, faire face It's bad enough when you have to contend with accidental fires
to contend for sth = se disputer qch three parties are contending for power.
to contend for sth = se disputer qch three parties are contending for power.
ditch
laisser tomber, abandonner the soft drink company has ditched plans to use Madonna in its advertising
[= to dump] plaquer she's just ditched her boyfriend.
[= to dump] plaquer she's just ditched her boyfriend.
prim
[person] collet monté, guindé She was a very prim lady
to hump
(argot) baiser Marcel, stop humping the lamp! Teach your dog to hump your leg on command!
weary
exténué, las she looked weary, a weary smile.
to be weary of = être las de
to weary of = se lasser de he's beginning to weary of sitting still.
x war-weary = las de la guerre ; world-weary = las de ce monde
to be weary of = être las de
to weary of = se lasser de he's beginning to weary of sitting still.
x war-weary = las de la guerre ; world-weary = las de ce monde
hustler
prostitué(e) Hi Snoop. What'chu wanna be when you grow up? I wanna be a motherfuckin' hustler !
sibling
frère, sœur His siblings are mostly in their early twenties.
sibling rivalry = rivalité entre frères et sœurs Sibling rivalry often causes parents anxieties.
sibling rivalry = rivalité entre frères et sœurs Sibling rivalry often causes parents anxieties.
case in point
(to be a) case in point = être un bon exemple
Lack of communication causes relationships to fail. Your parents' marriage is a case in point.
grudge
rancune a disabled man with a grudge against society
to bear a grudge = garder rancune I don't bear a grudge.
to bear a grudge against sb garder rancune à qn, en vouloir à qn He appears to have a grudge against certain players.
to bear a grudge = garder rancune I don't bear a grudge.
to bear a grudge against sb garder rancune à qn, en vouloir à qn He appears to have a grudge against certain players.