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contre-pied

English translation: taking people unaware or by surprise


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:contre-pied
English translation:taking people unaware or by surprise
Entered by: gabuss
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21:57 Jun 2, 2006
French to English translations [PRO]
Sports / Fitness / Recreation / Athletics (Track and Field)
French term or phrase: contre-pied
Would this be "turn of pace". I know in most sports it would mean "to wrong-foot someone", but surely not in athletics?

"Tanya Tomashova est la reine du contre-pied"
Timothy Barton
Local time: 21:04
taking people unaware or by surprise
Explanation:
the target term is more complete in the full phrase: "Tanya Tomashova is fond of (is well-known for, is a champion in) taking people unaware (or by surprise)
Selected response from:

gabuss
Local time: 19:04
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4taking people unaware or by surprise
gabuss
3unexpected footwork
Bailatjones
3queen for doing the (exact) opposite of what is expectedMatthewLaSon
3surprised finishesGeorges Tocco
1gear-shiftingSusana Galilea


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
gear-shifting


Explanation:
just a guess, HTH

Susana Galilea
United States
Local time: 14:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
surprised finishes


Explanation:
a possibility
or surprised change of pace
the impression of "contrepied" here is to surprise the competition

Georges Tocco
United States
Local time: 15:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 2
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
queen for doing the (exact) opposite of what is expected


Explanation:
Hello,

I believe that " le contre-pied" is a strategy used in which someone does the exact opposite of what is expected of him/her. If someone "prend le contre-pied de", he/she either takes the opposing view on a given issue, or does the (exact) opposite to what you would expect he/she to do. In this case, this track star employs a strategy in which she does the opposite of what her opponents expect her to do. She catches her opponents off guard by doing exactly what they would never think she would do. I'm sure there is another way of saying this, however. I wouldn't translate this as "catch off guard", even though that idea is implied.

I hope this helps.

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 15:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
unexpected footwork


Explanation:
In trying to keep the imagery...what about "is the queen of unexpected footwork"?

or does that sound too much like boxing? :-)

Bailatjones
Switzerland
Local time: 21:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
taking people unaware or by surprise


Explanation:
the target term is more complete in the full phrase: "Tanya Tomashova is fond of (is well-known for, is a champion in) taking people unaware (or by surprise)

gabuss
Local time: 19:04
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Assimina Vavoula
21 mins
  -> Thank you

agree  Alanna Wilson-Duff: TT is the champion at catching her opponants out at the finish line
26 mins
  -> Thank you

agree  emekadavid: sur vos dos
3 hrs
  -> Thank you

agree  gad
1 day7 hrs
  -> Thank you
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