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Italian term or phrase:colpo di grazia
Literally meaning the final blow to kill someone. Is it just "final blow" or "death blow"? I've been mulling it over and I'm just not convinced.
Thanks
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Oxford actually uses the French option.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 min (2009-10-23 07:16:49 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Bur says the second is a synonym.
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Probably the French option is more figurative while the other one is more conneted with real death.
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E.g. :
My disastrous exam results dealt the coup de grâce to my university career.
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But, useless to say, practice is law! As you can see from the other collegues' opinions and now that you said it refers to gladiators and and perhaps to Roman emperors the Colosseum!
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... colleagues... sorry!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 giorni (2009-10-28 07:11:17 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
Really need the context. It is unusual to tranlsate this literally.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
1 hr confidence:
Final blow
Explanation: Keep it simple:
Colpo di grazia
Con colpo di grazia si indica l'attacco mortale condotto con un'arma nei confronti di una persona incapace di difendersi (perché condannata a morte, disarmata in combattimento o gravemente ferita).
In passato era un atto di pietà: inferto a un combattente ferito sul campo di battaglia, gli evitava le sofferenze di una lenta agonia, dovute anche ai limiti di una medicina campale carente. Con l'avvento di disinfezione, antidolorifici e anestetici questa definizione perse il valore originale, rimanendo nel linguaggio con il significato esteso di "colpo finale".
desertfox Israel Local time: 15:34 Works in field Native speaker of: French, Hebrew PRO pts in category: 27
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 6 min (2009-10-23 07:15:41 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Oxford actually uses the French option.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 7 min (2009-10-23 07:16:49 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Bur says the second is a synonym.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 min (2009-10-23 07:18:33 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Probably the French option is more figurative while the other one is more conneted with real death.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 min (2009-10-23 07:19:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
E.g. :
My disastrous exam results dealt the coup de grâce to my university career.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 42 min (2009-10-23 07:51:31 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
But, useless to say, practice is law! As you can see from the other collegues' opinions and now that you said it refers to gladiators and and perhaps to Roman emperors the Colosseum!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 44 min (2009-10-23 07:53:10 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
... colleagues... sorry!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 giorni (2009-10-28 07:11:17 GMT) Post-grading --------------------------------------------------
Thanks Anne. Have a nice day.
MisterBeppe Italy Local time: 14:34 Native speaker of: Italian PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thank you, actually I used both of these in the course of the text. Perfect!
Notes to answerer
Asker: thank you!
Asker: Sorry, I should have been more specific with my initial entry. Yes, literally the final blow dealt to the losing gladiator following the Emperor's verdict of death. Nice...!
