logo
French Phrase of the Day: Sur un coup de tête

French Phrase of the Day: Sur un coup de tête

Local France02-06-2025

Why do I need to know
sur un coup de tête?
Because
sometimes this is the best way to make a decision.
What does it mean?
Sur un coup de tête
- roughly pronounced sir uhn koo duh teht - translates as 'on a headbutt', the violent physical action that some Brits may know as a 'Glasgow kiss'.
For instance, if you were paying attention to French sports in 2006, you might have seen headlines about the famous
Coup de tête de Zidane
(the Zidane headbutt).
But when used with '
sur
' it means to do something spontaneously or without much reflection.
Most of the time, you would use this expression to describe something done on a whim. For example, you might say
Il s'est inscrit au marathon sur un coup de tête
(He signed up for the marathon on a whim).
In terms of the origins of
sur un coup de tête
- according to
Linternaute
, it has to do with the contrast between the words
coup
and
tête
. People use their heads to think and reflect, while
coup
describes a quick, punctual action (like a kick), so making a decision
sur un coup de tête
would mean doing something without thinking of the consequences.
Advertisement
It is similar to the French expression
sur le coup
, which means 'in the moment' or 'at the time'.
If you are looking for a synonym, though, you can opt for either
impulsivement
(impulsively) or
sans réflechir
(without thinking).
Use it like this
Il y a 30 ans, j'ai décidé de commencer à peindre sur un coup de tête. Je ne l'ai jamais regretté. -
I decided to start painting on a whim 30 years ago, and I have never regretted it.
Sur un coup de tête, il achète des billets de train pour rendre visite à son pote à Bordeaux.
- On a whim, he bought train tickets to visit his friend in Bordeaux.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Louis Vuitton names Jeremy Allen White new ambassador
Louis Vuitton names Jeremy Allen White new ambassador

Fashion Network

time28 minutes ago

  • Fashion Network

Louis Vuitton names Jeremy Allen White new ambassador

announced on Tuesday the appointment of Jeremy Allen White as its new ambassador, as the French luxury maison looks to bring the American actor's star power into its already burgeoning celebrity fold. The born-and-bred New Yorker rose to fame for his lively portrayal of chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto in the series, "The Bear,' which earned him three consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series. Allen White has also featured in the series 'Shameless,' as well as the short film ,'Cornflower', and his recent role in 'The Iron Claw.' Next, the actor will play Bruce Springsteen in 'Deliver Me from Nowhere', as the he looks to expand his repertoire into biopics. Allen White's relationship with the Parisian fashion house began at the SAG Awards in February, and then the 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' edition of the Met Gala earlier in May, where both times the actor was dressed in Louis Vuitton. 'Jeremy's got a quiet confidence and authenticity that you can't fake. It's effortless. At Louis Vuitton, it's about real people who move culture forward—and Jeremy lives that. We're proud to welcome him into the family," said Louis Vuitton men's creative director, Pharrell Williams. A notion reiterated by the LVMH -owned brand, whose mega male celebrity roster already includes ​J- Hope, BamBam, Jackson Wang, Callum Turner, Timothée Adolphe, Léon Marchand, Antoine Dupont, Felix, and Enzo Lefort. "With a refined personal flair and magnetic on-screen presence, he captures the essence of modern artistry: effortlessly blending style and elegance in harmony with Louis Vuitton's signature," said LVMH, in a press release. Louis Vuitton's partnership with Allen White follows the actor's viral underwear campaign with U.S. brand Calvin Klein for Spring 2024, which depicted the chiselled star walking around New York City in a pair of white boxer briefs, soundtracked by Lesley Gore 's hit, "You Don't Own Me." While Allen White's raunchy partnership with Louis Vuitton isn't likely to cause a social media firestorm, parent company LVMH is hoping that the actor's new connection with its biggest brand will inject some much needed buzz. In its most recent trading update in April, LVMH reported a 3% drop in first-quarter sales, compared to 1% growth in the fourth quarter, as the luxury industry bellwether fights a downturn in demand for its high-end goods.

Louis Vuitton names Jeremy Allen White new ambassador
Louis Vuitton names Jeremy Allen White new ambassador

Fashion Network

time29 minutes ago

  • Fashion Network

Louis Vuitton names Jeremy Allen White new ambassador

Louis Vuitton announced on Tuesday the appointment of Jeremy Allen White as its new ambassador, as the French luxury maison looks to bring the American actor's star power into its already burgeoning celebrity fold. The born-and-bred New Yorker rose to fame for his lively portrayal of chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto in the series, "The Bear,' which earned him three consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Television Series. Allen White has also featured in the series 'Shameless,' as well as the short film ,'Cornflower', and most recently, 'The Iron Claw.' Next, the actor will play Bruce Springsteen in 'Deliver Me from Nowhere', as the American looks to expand his acting repertoire into biopics. Allen White's relationship with the Louis Vuitton began at the SAG Awards in February, and then the 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' edition of the Met Gala earlier in May, where both times the actor was dressed in the Parisian brand, whose menswear is designed by Pharrell Williams. 'Jeremy's got a quiet confidence and authenticity that you can't fake. It's effortless. At Louis Vuitton, it's about real people who move culture forward—and Jeremy lives that. We're proud to welcome him into the family," said Williams. A notion reiterated by the LVMH -owned brand, whose mega male celebrity roster already includes ​J- Hope, BamBam, Jackson Wang, Callum Turner, Timothée Adolphe, Léon Marchand, Antoine Dupont, Felix, and Enzo Lefort. "With a refined personal flair and magnetic on-screen presence, he captures the essence of modern artistry: effortlessly blending style and elegance in harmony with Louis Vuitton's signature," said Louis Vuitton, in a press release. Louis Vuitton's partnership with Allen White follows the actor's viral underwear campaign with U.S. brand Calvin Klein for Spring 2024, which depicted the chiselled star walking around New York City in a pair of white boxer briefs, soundtracked by Lesley Gore 's hit, "You Don't Own Me." While Allen White's raunchy partnership with Louis Vuitton isn't likely to cause a social media firestorm, parent company LVMH is hoping that the actor's new connection with its biggest brand will inject some much needed buzz. In its most recent trading update in April, LVMH reported a 3% drop in first-quarter sales, compared to 1% growth in the fourth quarter, as the luxury industry bellwether fights a downturn in demand for its high-end goods.

'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86

Euronews

time17 hours ago

  • Euronews

'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86

Frederick Forsyth, the British author of "The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agent said on Monday. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said. Born in Kent in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for "The Day of the Jackal," his bestselling political thriller about a professional assassin. Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. In 2015, Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s. Although Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and "it was hard to say no" to officials seeking information. "The zeitgeist was different," he told the BBC. "The Cold War was very much on." He wrote more than 25 books including "The Afghan," "The Kill List," and "The Dogs of War" that sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that "Revenge of Odessa," a sequel to the 1974 book "The Odessa File" that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August. "Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire," Scott-Kerr said. Bosques de Agua has planted over 400,000 native Polylepis Australis trees to help regulate the water cycle and restore biodiversity. The project also protects land as natural reserves and helps local communities and volunteers reconnect with nature and inspires long-term conservation. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store