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À tombeau ouvert (At breakneck speed)

The informal French expression à tombeau ouvert translates literally to “at or with an open tomb”.

English meanings:

  • at breakneck speed

French meanings:

  • très vite – very fast

Example sentence:

  • J’ai conduit la Mercedes de mon ami en Californie à tombeau ouvert. I drove my friend’s Mercedes in California at breakneck speed.
  • Je n’aime pas conduire à Montréal parce les Québecois conduisent à tombeau ouvert sur l’autoroute. I don’t like to drive in Montreal because the French Canadians drive at breakneck speeds on the highway.
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David Issokson Founder & French Teacher at FrenchLearner.com
David Issokson is the founder of FrenchLearner.com, where he’s been helping students master French through vocabulary, grammar, and cultural lessons since 2012.

    David Issokson

    About the Author – David Issokson David Issokson is an online French teacher and the founder of FrenchLearner.com (established 2012). He has been teaching French online since 2014 and brings over 30 years of experience as a passionate French learner and fluent speaker. Recognized for his native-like mastery of the language, David creates clear, structured lessons with native-speaker audio to help students learn French online confidently. He is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal and has taught hundreds of learners worldwide. 📘 About David » 🌐 David’s personal site » 👍 Follow on Facebook »

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