Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

sans coup frémir

English translation:

no sweat / like falling off a log / easily

Added to glossary by B D Finch
May 30, 2011 21:50
12 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

sans coup frémir

French to English Other Idioms / Maxims / Sayings idiom
A group is talking about thier fund raising activities and says: pour nous ça rapporte 20 000€ sans coup frémir
Do they mean 'without too much effort"?
I can't find the expression in any of my dictionary sources so really am guessing.
Thanks for help here
Change log

Jun 7, 2011 08:14: B D Finch Created KOG entry

Discussion

Ingeborg Gowans (X) May 30, 2011:
another thought: i found "sans coup férir" (on leo) which means without effort; could it be a typo?
Ingeborg Gowans (X) May 30, 2011:
at first glance I would say it sounds like "without too much effort", but a bit more context before and after might take the guesswork out of it?

Proposed translations

+2
1 hr
Selected

no sweat / like falling off a log / easily

I don't think it is a typo. However, I do think that it needs to be amended somewhat to make sense in English. The above are in slightly different registers as you haven't given much clue as to what would be a suitable register.

"Les épisodes facheux que vous narrez et pour lesquels, je dois avouer, pour lesquels je n'en n'avais pas eu vent, ne se retrouvent en aucun cas au quotidien. Bien au contraire, et cela risque en décevoir certains, j'en veux pour preuve mon employeur qui a m'a octroyé sans coup frémir, un espace pour prier et qui répond systématiquement favorablement à mes demandes d'aménagement d'emploie du temps, pour pouvoir me consacrer à ce qui m'importe le plus, ma soumission à Dieu."
http://irlande.blogs.liberation.fr/ballyban/2009/12/quand-mi...
"Sans coup frémir l'engin oscille et fait jaillir une pluie de fragments métalliques incandescente qui coulait comme de la lave. Le chien sera tué sur le ..."
www.forum-ovni-ufologie.com/t523-l-affaire-maury-island -

"Il a vu et entendu des personnes dites intellectuelles déformer les faits et la vérité, et répandre le mensonge à ciel ouvert sans coup frémir dans tous les medias !"
inaedad-rieasda.net/VuEcouteRCI11042011dh.pdf
Note from asker:
I think you are right - thank you ! but the idea of it being a typo is very possible too. The meaning either way is largely the same luckily.
Peer comment(s):

agree Yolanda Broad : I especially like "like falling off a log."
1 hr
Thanks Yolanda
agree Bourth (X) : I can see Yolanda's father was a lumberjack ;-) (no offence meant!).
8 hrs
Thanks Bourth
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you - I found all the suggestions very helpful"
+6
21 mins

sans coup férir = without effort

I am going out on a limb here and assume it was a typo/
according to dico that would make sense then and would possibly fit into your context
Note from asker:
this may well be the case - thank you for pointing this out!
Peer comment(s):

agree Jocelyne Cuenin : without a hitch ?
14 mins
yes, that would work, too; thanks, Petitavoine
agree philgoddard : Or easily. If it is a typo, it gets nearly a thousand Google hits.
1 hr
yes, thanks, Phil, I was surprised how easy it was once it could have been a typo
agree Bourth (X) : Les doigts dans le nez.
9 hrs
merci, Bourth
agree mimi 254
10 hrs
thanks, Mimi 254
agree Colin Rowe : Either a typo, or one of those expressions that has undergone a genetic mutation and now exists in two (or more) parallel forms... Right now, English examples elude me, although I know there are some really good (bad) ones!
12 hrs
well put, Colin, thanks
agree bigmimi : the expression should be "sans coup férir"--> "effortlessly"
32 days
thank yoy
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+1
22 mins

witout missing a beat

if you do or say something without missing a beat, you continue confidently with what you are saying or doing
Note from asker:
thanks very much for your help!
Peer comment(s):

agree Yolanda Broad : Good idiomatic equivalent.
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
1 day 40 mins

at the drop of a hat/without batting an eyelash

Two informal, idiomatic possibilities.
Peer comment(s):

neutral Mpoma : Nice. But perhaps *slightly* veering away from sans coup férir. Would depend on context I think.
3289 days
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