crachant ses poumons dans toutes les directions,

English translation: coughing her lungs out

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:crachant ses poumons dans toutes les directions,
English translation:coughing her lungs out
Entered by: Trevino Translations (X)

21:21 Dec 21, 2018
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: crachant ses poumons dans toutes les directions,
À peine arrivé dans la rue principale que deux gaillards, les agents des forces spéciales, sortirent de l’immeuble et foncèrent vers la voiture où se tenait la mémé, d’une main ferme, crachant ses poumons dans toutes les directions, pendant que l’octogénaire tremblait de tous ses membres et cherchait dans le sac de la vieille, ses médicaments.
Frank Gerace
United States
Local time: 04:07
coughing her lungs out
Explanation:
I think it's referring to the old woman...if not, then it's "him", of course. ')
Selected response from:

Trevino Translations (X)
France
Local time: 09:07
Grading comment
thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +8coughing her guts up all over the place
Tony M
4(spluttering and) coughing up a lung
Hilary McGrath
3coughing her lungs out
Trevino Translations (X)


  

Answers


30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
coughing her lungs out


Explanation:
I think it's referring to the old woman...if not, then it's "him", of course. ')

Trevino Translations (X)
France
Local time: 09:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: la mémé a him?
6 mins
  -> No, only "him" if the person coughing is the old man...the text is not all that clear about who is coughing, IMHO.
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44 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
crachant ses poumons dans toutes les directions
coughing her guts up all over the place


Explanation:
I know 'lungs' is more literal and also more medically accurate — but I've a feeling all the same that this is pretty much the dedciated expression.

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Note added at 10 hrs (2018-12-22 08:12:49 GMT)
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« ...la voiture où se tenait la mémé ... crachant ses poumons dans toutes les directions ... »

No doubt in my mind that it is the old lady who is doing the coughing.

Tony M
France
Local time: 09:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 128

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  JohnMcDove
9 mins
  -> Thanks, John!

agree  Helen Shiner
32 mins
  -> Thanks, Helen!

agree  Bijan Khezri
54 mins
  -> Thanks, Bijan!

agree  David Hollywood
4 hrs
  -> Thanks, David!

agree  Victoria Britten: Satisfying to be able to be more idiomatic than the original!
15 hrs
  -> Thanks, Victoria! :-)

agree  B D Finch
17 hrs
  -> Thanks, B!

agree  Daryo: sounds as dramatic as the original ...
1 day 17 hrs
  -> Thanks, Daryo! Indeed yes!

agree  Yolanda Broad
2 days 5 hrs
  -> Thanks, Yolanda!
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(spluttering and) coughing up a lung


Explanation:
'Coughing up a lung' is a common expression but I wouldn't put 'in all directions' or similar. I would add 'spluttering' to cover this idea.

My understanding is that she's coughing and he's trembling.


    https://www.health24.com/Medical/Cough/About-cough/can-you-cough-up-a-lung-20171004
Hilary McGrath
France
Local time: 09:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Curiously enough, i've never come across the expression using just 'a lung' — I'm wondering if it's perhaps a peculiarly S. African idiom, as that appears to be where yr ref. is from? I don't know why you'd choose to omit 'dans toutes les directions'?
1 day 20 hrs
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