Mots difficiles en anglais
sweet tooth
to have a sweet tooth = avoir un faible pour les sucreries
janitor
concierge
hand-to-mouth
to live a hand-to-mouth existence = vivre au jour le jour
jigsaw
puzzle
→ (fig) the missing pieces of the jigsaw = les pièces manquantes du puzzle.
busker
musicien ambulant, musicien de rue → « He earned a living as a busker. »uptown
des quartiers résidentiels
blunder
bourde → « damaged at birth by a hospital blunder » → « George Bush made a terrible blunder by launching a trade war. »
faire une bourde → « to blunder badly faire une grosse bourde » → « Clearly, Sir Alec had blundered badly. »
to blunder into sb/sth = buter contre qn/qch → « He had blundered into the table, upsetting the flowers. »
faire une bourde → « to blunder badly faire une grosse bourde » → « Clearly, Sir Alec had blundered badly. »
to blunder into sb/sth = buter contre qn/qch → « He had blundered into the table, upsetting the flowers. »
blueprint
esquisse (sens propre et figuré), projet → a blueprint for sth = un projet de qch .
→ « his blueprint for the country's future. »
to ruffle
[+hair, feathers] ébouriffer
(fig.) to ruffle sb's feathers = chiffonner qn
[+clothes] chiffonner
[+water] faire moutonner → a stiff breeze ruffled the surface of the sea.
[+person] décontenancer, faire perdre son flegme à → He was not easily ruffled.
(fig.) to ruffle sb's feathers = chiffonner qn
[+clothes] chiffonner
[+water] faire moutonner → a stiff breeze ruffled the surface of the sea.
[+person] décontenancer, faire perdre son flegme à → He was not easily ruffled.
jest
plaisanterie « It was a jest rather than a reproach... » « The men talk as cheerfully as ever; jests are bandied about freely. »
in jest = en plaisantant « to say sth in jest » « It was said half in jest » « Don't say that, even in jest »
plaisanter « He enjoyed drinking and jesting with his cronies. »
in jest = en plaisantant « to say sth in jest » « It was said half in jest » « Don't say that, even in jest »
plaisanter « He enjoyed drinking and jesting with his cronies. »
earnest
sérieux → « She was approached by an earnest young man from the University. »
sincère → « It is my earnest wish that you use this money to further your research. »
to be in earnest = être sérieux → « Is the Minister in earnest about these proposals? → No one could tell whether he was in earnest or in jest. »
an earnest of sth = un gage de qch → « Viewing this as an earnest of what they were to expect. »
as an earnest of sth = en gage de qch →« as an earnest of his commitment to root-and-branch reform. »
in earnest = sérieusement, pour de bon → « to do sth in earnest » → « Then she started crying in earnest. »
sincère → « It is my earnest wish that you use this money to further your research. »
to be in earnest = être sérieux → « Is the Minister in earnest about these proposals? → No one could tell whether he was in earnest or in jest. »
an earnest of sth = un gage de qch → « Viewing this as an earnest of what they were to expect. »
as an earnest of sth = en gage de qch →« as an earnest of his commitment to root-and-branch reform. »
in earnest = sérieusement, pour de bon → « to do sth in earnest » → « Then she started crying in earnest. »
sight-read
déchiffrer → « Symphony musicians cannot necessarily sight-read. »
thrust
pousée, propulsion
propulser (sens propre et figuré)
propulser (sens propre et figuré)
limelight
to be in the limelight = être sous les projecteurs
to be thrust into the limelight = être propulsé (e) sous les projecteurs → « Tony has now been thrust into the limelight, with a high-profile job. »
to be thrust into the limelight = être propulsé (e) sous les projecteurs → « Tony has now been thrust into the limelight, with a high-profile job. »
milestone
événement clé → « a milestone in the history of broadcasting. » (cf: landmark)
borne (sur la route)
borne (sur la route)
wanderlust
soif de voyages → « His wanderlust would not allow him to stay long in one spot. »
epitomize
symboliser → « Beethoven has come to epitomize the whole of western classical music. »
entice
attirer « retailers try hard to entice shoppers through their doors. »
to entice sb to do sth = inciter qn à faire qch « Nothing could entice me to use the current facilities » « She resisted attempts to entice her into politics. »
enticing : séduisant « It was an enticing prospect for poor villagers ».
to entice sb to do sth = inciter qn à faire qch « Nothing could entice me to use the current facilities » « She resisted attempts to entice her into politics. »
enticing : séduisant « It was an enticing prospect for poor villagers ».
bewitch
ensorceler → « She was not moving, as if someone had bewitched her... »
to be bewitched by sth/sb être captivé par qch/qn → « The doctor is bewitched by Maya's beauty. »
to be bewitched by sth/sb être captivé par qch/qn → « The doctor is bewitched by Maya's beauty. »
ewe
brebis a flock of ewes (un troupeau de brebis)
to cull
[+animals] procéder à l'abattage sélectif de
→« If you have a flock of ewes it is best to cull them before mating. »
to cull a flock = procéder à un abattage sélectif pour contrôler un troupeau
sélectionner → « we'll cull the best ideas and convene a seminar to discuss them » → « Laura was passing around photographs she'd culled from the albums at home »
to cull information from sth = tirer des informations de qch → « information culled from movies he had seen on television. »
massacre, abattage → « a big elephant cull in Zimbabwe. »
to cull a flock = procéder à un abattage sélectif pour contrôler un troupeau
sélectionner → « we'll cull the best ideas and convene a seminar to discuss them » → « Laura was passing around photographs she'd culled from the albums at home »
to cull information from sth = tirer des informations de qch → « information culled from movies he had seen on television. »
massacre, abattage → « a big elephant cull in Zimbabwe. »
sophomore
étudiant de deuxième année
sophomore year = deuxième année
sophomore year = deuxième année
thy
ton, ta , → « honor thy father and thy mother. »
hunch
intuition → « He then had to wait to see if carbon-dating tests showed his hunch to be right. »
my hunch is that = quelque chose me dit que → « My hunch is that the euro will get even weaker »
to have a hunch that = avoir comme une vague idée que
to act on a hunch = suivre son intuition → « Watson had acted on a hunch. »
to hunch one's shoulders = se voûter → « Wes hunched his shoulders and leaned forward on the edge of the counter. »
my hunch is that = quelque chose me dit que → « My hunch is that the euro will get even weaker »
to have a hunch that = avoir comme une vague idée que
to act on a hunch = suivre son intuition → « Watson had acted on a hunch. »
to hunch one's shoulders = se voûter → « Wes hunched his shoulders and leaned forward on the edge of the counter. »
tenet
principe → « This is a basic tenet of capitalism. »
slapdash
bâclé → « My cooking is rather slapdash. »
[person] brouillon → « He is rather slapdash in his approach. »
slap = gifle, gifler.
[person] brouillon → « He is rather slapdash in his approach. »
slap = gifle, gifler.
landmark
repère, point de repère → « The tower is a landmark visible for miles → Big Ben is one of London's most famous landmarks. »
to be a landmark = faire date / époque → « The discovery of penicillin was a landmark in medicine. » (cf: milestone)
qui fait jurisprudence → « The payout is believed to be a landmark case because it breaks the established principle that... → the landmark decision that prompted US deregulation. »
to be a landmark = faire date / époque → « The discovery of penicillin was a landmark in medicine. » (cf: milestone)
qui fait jurisprudence → « The payout is believed to be a landmark case because it breaks the established principle that... → the landmark decision that prompted US deregulation. »
stark
austere, désolé, morne → « We then passed through a much starker landscape. »
[choix] douloureux. « UK companies face a stark choice if they are to stay competitive. »
to issue a stark warning = lancer un sévère avertissement. « He issued a stark warning to Washington and other Western Capitals. »
stark naked = complètement nu →« He came out of the bathroom stark naked. »
[choix] douloureux. « UK companies face a stark choice if they are to stay competitive. »
to issue a stark warning = lancer un sévère avertissement. « He issued a stark warning to Washington and other Western Capitals. »
stark naked = complètement nu →« He came out of the bathroom stark naked. »
flaw
défaut
→ This study has serious flaws
→ The main flaw in his character is his short temper
design flaw = défaut de conception → A design flaw with the aircraft caused the crash.
design flaw = défaut de conception → A design flaw with the aircraft caused the crash.
sway
chanceler, balancer, tanguer. « He didn't fall, but swayed a little. »
influencer. Do not be swayed by glamorous advertisements.
emprise → to hold sway = exercer son emprise → to be under the sway of sb/sth = être sous l'emprise de qn/qch.
influencer. Do not be swayed by glamorous advertisements.
emprise → to hold sway = exercer son emprise → to be under the sway of sb/sth = être sous l'emprise de qn/qch.
high
défoncé, bourré : « Parker's habit was to cause him to miss gigs and to be fired for being high. »
to be high on sth = être sous l'emprise de qch, être défoncé à qch.
to get high = se défoncer → smoking cannabis to get high
to get high on crack = se défoncer au crack.
to be high on sth = être sous l'emprise de qch, être défoncé à qch.
to get high = se défoncer → smoking cannabis to get high
to get high on crack = se défoncer au crack.
flirty
dragueur → She is amazingly flirty and sensual → She had an appealing flirty smile.
[clothes] sexy → The skirts were knee-skimming and flirty.
[clothes] sexy → The skirts were knee-skimming and flirty.
gig
concert They started out doing free gigs in bars. »
spectacle He did occasional comedy gigs. »
spectacle He did occasional comedy gigs. »
hiss
siffler → « the locomotive stood immobile, steam hissing out of its vents → the snake hissed → the audience hissed at the play. »
feuler (chat)→ « my cat hissed when I stepped on its tail. »
grésiller → « droplets of fat hissed in the flames. Des gouttelettes de graisse grésillaient dans les flammes. »
sifflement, grésillement → « the CD banished for ever all the hisses and crackles that had plagued disc recordings until then. Le CD a banni à jamais tous les grésillements et craquements qui étaient jusqu'alors la plaie des enregistrements musicaux. »
feuler (chat)→ « my cat hissed when I stepped on its tail. »
grésiller → « droplets of fat hissed in the flames. Des gouttelettes de graisse grésillaient dans les flammes. »
sifflement, grésillement → « the CD banished for ever all the hisses and crackles that had plagued disc recordings until then. Le CD a banni à jamais tous les grésillements et craquements qui étaient jusqu'alors la plaie des enregistrements musicaux. »
grapevine
vigne
téléphone arabe => I heard it on the grapevine : je l'ai appris par le téléphone arabe. » When Wynton Marsalis began to pick up gigs around New York City in 1978, the grapevine began to buzz. Two years later he was rewarded with the opportunity to join the Jazz Messengers. »
téléphone arabe => I heard it on the grapevine : je l'ai appris par le téléphone arabe. » When Wynton Marsalis began to pick up gigs around New York City in 1978, the grapevine began to buzz. Two years later he was rewarded with the opportunity to join the Jazz Messengers. »
schmuck
prépuce
syn. de prick : connard, imbécile
syn. de prick : connard, imbécile
bunch
bouquet « a bunch of flowers »
a bunch of keys : un trousseau de clés
[+bananas] régime
a bunch of grapes : une grappe de raisin
[+people] groupe → « We were a pretty inexperienced bunch of people. → They're a great bunch : c'est une chouette équipe. the best of the bunch : le or la meilleur(e) de la bande. »
bunches = couettes → « She had her hair tied in bunches. »
a bunch of keys : un trousseau de clés
[+bananas] régime
a bunch of grapes : une grappe de raisin
[+people] groupe → « We were a pretty inexperienced bunch of people. → They're a great bunch : c'est une chouette équipe. the best of the bunch : le or la meilleur(e) de la bande. »
bunches = couettes → « She had her hair tied in bunches. »
timely
opportun → the timely arrival of the maintenance man
pitfall
piège, chausse-trape → « The pitfalls of working abroad are numerous. »
hound
poursuivre avec acharnement → the newspapers hounded him → to be hounded by the press = être harcelé par la presse
chien de meute
the hounds = la meute
chien de meute
the hounds = la meute
footage
enregistrement, séquences → exclusive footage from this year's festival → the court was shown video footage from security cameras .
brat
morveux → he's a spoiled brat = c'est un enfant gâté.
devin
soothsayer
semi-colon
point virgule
yank
coup sec → after a couple of yanks, the rope came free.
to give sth a yank tirer d'un coup sec sur qch
[+rope, cord] tirer d'un coup sec → to yank an emergency cord.
to yank sth open : ouvrir qch d'un coup sec → she yanked open the drawer = elle ouvrit le tiroir d'un coup sec.
to give sth a yank tirer d'un coup sec sur qch
[+rope, cord] tirer d'un coup sec → to yank an emergency cord.
to yank sth open : ouvrir qch d'un coup sec → she yanked open the drawer = elle ouvrit le tiroir d'un coup sec.
chunk
[+meat] gros morceau → to cut the meat into chunks
[+bread] quignon
[+bread] quignon
eggplant
aubergine
greed
(for money, power) : avidité, cupidité → all the hatred and violence, greed and selfishness in the world → It was a crime motivated by pure greed.
greed for sth : avidité de qch, soif de qch → his greed for knowledge and experience → an insatiable greed for personal power and glory
gourmandise → I wasn't really hungry, it was just pure greed that made me eat it.
greed for sth : avidité de qch, soif de qch → his greed for knowledge and experience → an insatiable greed for personal power and glory
gourmandise → I wasn't really hungry, it was just pure greed that made me eat it.
den
tanière, antre
repaire → a drinking den : un repaire d'ivrognes → illegal drinking dens
a den of sth (vice, debauchery) : un lieu de qch → his flat became a den of debauchery → « a den of greed »
repaire → a drinking den : un repaire d'ivrognes → illegal drinking dens
a den of sth (vice, debauchery) : un lieu de qch → his flat became a den of debauchery → « a den of greed »
snippet
bribes → on the bus I heard this interesting snippet of conversation.