coup

coup
n. m. When one takes a broad look at the word coup, it soon becomes obvious that its many diverse uses and combined expressions come under three main categories.
(A): Blow (in the literal and figurative).
1. En venir aux coups: To come to blows.
2. Coup de boule: 'Head-butt', blow inflicted with the head in opponent's belly.
3. Le coup du lapin: Blow on the back of the neck.
4. Coup de Jarnac: Treacherous blow, disloyal attack.
5. Le coup du père François: Strangulation.
6. Coup de Trafalgar: Disastrous turn of events.
7. Coup de châsse: 'Quick butchers', peep, quick look.
8. Coup de filet: Dragnet, police raid.
9. Coup de balai: Clear-out. Donner un coup de balai (fig.): To make room for new ideas.
10. Coup de torchon: 'Barney', heated argument.
11. Tirer un coup: To fuck, to 'screw', to have intercourse. Coup de Bourse (joc.): Intercourse. (The pun here is on the word Bourse meaning both the Stock Exchange and testicle; the standard non-colloquial expression denotes a successful flutter on the Stock Exchange.)
12. Coup de fil: 'Buzz', 'ring', telephone call.
13. Coup dur: Serious setback. La vie pour lui a été une succession de coups durs: It's just been one blow after another for him all his life.
14. C'est un sale coup (pour la fanfare): That's really bad luck, that is!
15. Faire les quatre cents coups: To 'burn the candle at both ends', to lead a fast life.
(B): Dose, measure, quantity.
1. Boire un coup: To have a drink.
2. En avoir un coup (also: avoir un coup dans l'aile): To be 'squiffy', 'tipsy', to be slightly drunk.
3. En mettre un coup (of work): To 'do one's darnedest', to 'put one's back into it', to make an extra effort.
4. Tenir le coup: To stand the pace, to weather the storm. Il n'a qu'à tenir le coup comme les autres: He'll just have to grin and bear it like the rest of us.
5. Faire quelque chose en trois coups de cuiller a pot: To do something 'in two shakes of a lamb's tail', double-quick.
6. Ne pas en ficher un coup: To do 'fuck-all', to be darned lazy.
7. Coup de pot: Stroke of luck.
8. Prendre un coup de vieux: To age considerably over a short period of time.
9. Coup de fusil (at restaurant): Exorbitant bill. On a eu droit à un de ces coups de fusil carabinés: The bill we got looked like the balance of payments deficit!
10. Coup de pouce: Help, assistance. Donner un coup de pouce a quelqu'un: To give someone a shove in the right direction. (C): Knack, trick.
11. Avoir le coup: To have the knack. Il a le coup pour draguer les nanas! He certainly knows how to pull the birds!
12. Etre au coup: To 'know the score', to 'know the ropes', to be familiar with the workings of something.
13. Etre dans le coup: To be 'in on something', to be involved in something.
14. Expliquer le coup (to accomplices): To divulge the plan.
15. Faire le coup a quelqu'un: To play the trick on someone. Il m'a fait le coup du 'portefeuille dans l'autre veston': He got money out of me with that age-old 'I forgot my wallet' dodge.
16. Monter un coup: To engineer a confidence trick. On a monté un coup fumant: That con was a cracker!
17. Coup d'arnac: Fraud, swindle.
18. Le coup classique: That old, old trick.
19. Coup fourré: 'Major cock-up', big blunder.

Dictionary of Modern Colloquial French. 2013.

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  • coup — [ku:] n [Date: 1700 1800; : French; Origin: hit, stroke ] 1.) a sudden and sometimes violent attempt by citizens or the army to take control of the government = coup d état ▪ Haiti s first elected president was deposed in a violent military coup …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Coup — v. i. To make a coup. Woe to the Sioux if the Northern Cheyennes get a chance to coup ! F. Remington. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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