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Informal French Expression
| Meaning | in double time, very quickly | |
| Literally | in two beats, three movements | |
| Register | informal | |
| Pronunciation |  | [a(n) deu ta(n) trwah moov(eu) ma(n)] |
| IPA | [ɑ̃ dø tɑ̃ tʁwa muv mɑ̃] | |
Usage notes: The French expression en deux temps, trois mouvements comes from music: temps refers to "beats" and mouvements indicates "motions" (though there’s an additional musical meaning of "tempo"). So a person creating three motions in just two beats would obviously be moving very quickly.
Par exemple…
| En deux temps, trois mouvements il a désarmé le voleur. | He disarmed the thief in the blink of an eye. |
Synonyms
- en moins de temps qu’il ne faut pour le dire / l’écrire
- (faire quelque chose) plus vite que son ombre
- très rapidement
- très vite
There are many ways to express this in English:
- before you know it
- in a jiffy
- in double time
- in no time
- in the blink of an eye
- like lightning
- quick as a wink
(old-fashioned) - before you can say "Jack Robinson"
- in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
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