25 Coups de Plume

25 Coups de Plume 25 Coups de Plume 25 Coups de Plume By Mark Nichol What, exactly, is a coup, and how many kinds of coups are there? This post describes a variety of phrases using the word, plus an array of related terms. Coup, a word for a sudden bold and/or brilliant act it also serves as a truncation of â€Å"coup d’à ©tat† comes from the French word coup, meaning â€Å"stroke† or â€Å"blow†; ultimately, it’s from the Greek term kolaphos by way of the Latin borrowing colaphos. Few of the following expressions have been widely adopted into English, but they’re all available for literal and/or idiomatic use: 1. Coup la porte (â€Å"knock on the door†): a signal or summoning 2. Coup bas (â€Å"low blow†): a cheap shot 3. Coup d’archet (â€Å"stroke of the bow†): contact of the bow with one or more strings on a violin or a similar instrument 4. Coup d’chance (â€Å"stroke of luck†): a fortunate event 5. Coup d’eclat (â€Å"stroke of glory†): a glorious feat 6. Coup d’à ©tat (â€Å"stroke of state†): the overthrow of a national government by a government faction usually, elements of the nation’s military 7. Coup d’oeil (â€Å"stroke of the eye†): a survey taken at a glance 8. Coup de coeur (â€Å"blow to the heart†): an intense but short-lived passion 9. Coup de crayon (â€Å"stroke of the pencil†): an expression of artistic creativity 10. Coup de destin (â€Å"blow of fate†): a tragic event 11. Coup de foudre (â€Å"stroke of lightning†): an unexpected sudden event; also, love at first sight 12. Coup de glotte (â€Å"stroke of the glottis†): a method in singing and speaking technique in which the glottis, the space between the vocal folds, is suddenly manipulated by muscular contraction 13. Coup de grà ¢ce (â€Å"stroke of mercy†): a blow or shot to end the suffering of a mortally wounded person or animal; a figuratively similar act; or a decisive act, event, or stroke 14. Coup de l’amitià © (â€Å"stroke of friendship†): one (drink) for the road 15. Coup de main (â€Å"stroke of the hand†): a sudden, full-scale attack, or assistance 16. Coup de plume (â€Å"stroke of the pen†): a witty or masterful turn of phrase 17. Coup de poing (â€Å"stroke of the fist†): a punch, or a shock 18. Coup de pouce (â€Å"stroke of the thumb†): a helping hand, or a nudge 19. Coup de repos (â€Å"stroke of rest†): a chess move in which a player prepares for a blow against the player’s opponent 20. Coup de sang (â€Å"stroke of blood†): extreme anger 21. Coup de thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre (â€Å"stroke of theater)†: a sudden twist in a stage play’s script, or, in general, a sudden turn of events or a sudden effect; also, a successful stage production 22. Coup du ciel (â€Å"stroke from heaven†): sudden good fortune 23. Coup dur (â€Å"stroke of difficulty): a tough blow, or something difficult to accept 24. Coup en traà ®tre (â€Å"stroke of treachery†): a stab in the back 25. Coup montà © (â€Å"stroke of fitting†): a frame-up or con Many other phrases and expressions include the word coup; those listed above are just most of them that begin with it. Among the others are coup pour coup (â€Å"blow for blow,† or â€Å"tit for tat†) and coup sur coup (â€Å"in quick succession,† or â€Å"time after time†). Coup appears in other usages, and related terms abound. A coup injury is one in which the head strikes an object, causing injury to the brain; the accompanying countercoup injury to the brain occurs when the head strikes a fixed object, causing the brain to impact against the skull as well. Counting coup is the act of dominating or defeating an opponent in single combat without causing injury; in some Native American cultures, a warrior won such prestige by striking a foe or an enemy position with a hand, a weapon, or a coup stick, or by stealing an opponent’s weapon or his horse. Success in counting coup, which required the honoree to withdraw without injury, was acknowledged by notches cut in the coup stick or eagle feathers worn in the honoree’s hair. Coupage has four distinct meanings: blending two types of wine to alter flavor, mixing drugs with other substances, removing hair from a hide, and tapping on the thorax to help dislodge secretions, such as in treatment for tuberculosis. Decoupage, unrelated to any of these senses, describes decoration of an object with paper cutouts and other materials. Other terms with the root word coup include recoup, which originally meant â€Å"to deduct,† though now the general sense is of compensation for a loss, and beaucoup, a French term meaning â€Å"many, a great number.† The latter entered general usage in American English by way of military personnel who had served in Vietnam, which had until recently been part of French Indochina. Coupà ©, the word for a type of carriage and, later, a style of car, is related; the sense is of something cut (with a stroke) down to a smaller size. So, too, is coupon, from the French word for â€Å"piece.† They are cognate with the verb cope, frequently seen in the phrase â€Å"cope with† and meaning â€Å"deal with challenges† and, less often, â€Å"prevail in combat or competition.† A coping saw, meanwhile, is a tool with a small, thin, saw blade set in a U-shaped frame, and a coppice (also rendered copse) is a thicket of trees cultivated for cutting. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund PhrasesDifference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"Honorary vs. Honourary