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laisser la bride

English translation: to give free rein

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French term or phrase:	laisser la bride
English translation:	to give free rein
Entered by:	Stephanie Mitchel

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20:54 Jan 5, 2004

French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial / business news

French term or phrase: laisser la bride

Article in Le Monde, 12/18/03, on the Executive Life case.

"Jean-Yves Haberer, ancien PDG du Crédit lyonnais. A la tête de la banque nationalisée entre 1988 et 1993, il a laissé la bride sur le cou à Altus, filiale du Lyonnais. Les autorités judiciaires californiennes l'accusent de "complicité de fraude" pour avoir cautionné par écrit l'opération proposée par Altus lors du rachat d'Executive Life."

Stephanie Mitchel KudoZ activity Questions: 1461 (2 open) (2 without valid answers) (34 closed without grading) Answers: 131 United States
Local time: 00:41

to give free rein

Explanation:
to so
I have just found it in Harraps...

Selected response from:

Ségolène Neilson
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:41

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +2

he gave Lyonnais affiliate Altus a free hand

Adam Thomson

4 +3

was very lax with

William Stein

3 +4

to give free rein

Ségolène Neilson

5 +2

let it go its own way or let it run wild

Jane Lamb-Ruiz

to give a free hand

Abdellatif Bouhid

Answers

1 min confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

was very lax with

Explanation:
the opposite of "keeping a tight rein on"

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Note added at 1 min (2004-01-05 20:56:21 GMT)
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to \"let have free rein\"

William Stein
United States
Local time: 01:41
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 1737

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

let it go its own way or let it run wild

Explanation:
to let the horse go where it will. to run wild

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Note added at 2004-01-05 21:01:30 (GMT)
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if you take your hands off the bridle, and just let a horse go, it is said to Go its own way in English...

in certain cases, to run wild

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Note added at 2004-01-05 21:04:01 (GMT)
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Also: to abandon the helm, if you want to use a maritime metaphor....

Jane Lamb-Ruiz
United States
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in pair: 8572

7 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

to give free rein

Explanation:
to so
I have just found it in Harraps...

Ségolène Neilson
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:41
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in pair: 525

20 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

he gave Lyonnais affiliate Altus a free hand

Explanation:
idiomatic business French: laisser la bride sur le cou à qn = to give or leave sb a free hand

Adam Thomson
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:41
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in pair: 98