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Feb

2012

'Sarkozy – Hollande: duel à couteaux tirés'

L'expression en être à couteaux tirés avec quelqu'un

The presidential campaign is intensifying in France. A headline in one of the broadsheets characterised the battle between front-runners Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande as un duel à couteaux tirés, in other words 'a duel with knives drawn'. Though Mr Hollande is still ahead in the polls, his lead is diminishing.

The expression en être à couteaux tirés (qui veut dire être en conflit ouvert, être en grande dispute, être dans une situation de grande hostilité) – is apt.

Considérez également les exemples suivantes:

La Corée du Nord et le Japon en sont à couteaux tirés.
J'ai deux voisins qui ne s'adressent plus la parole: ils en sont à couteaux tirés.

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