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French Expression
| Meaning | rolling blockade, truck-out boycott, go-slow operation | |
| Literally | snail operation | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation | [uh pay ra syo(n) eh scar go] | |
| IPA | [ɔ pe ʁa sjɔ̃ ɛs kaʁ go] | |
Usage notes: The French expression opération escargot refers to a type of demonstration which deliberately impedes traffic: hundreds of vehicles (cars, trucks, tractors, depending on the demonstrators and their aims) fill all the lanes of a highway and drive slowly. Less commonly, boats may be used to hinder marine traffic.
Par exemple…
| Entre la pénurie d’essence et les opérations escargot, ce n’est pas le bon moment de conduire jusqu’à la côte ! | Between the gas shortage and the rolling blockades, this isn’t a good time to drive to the coast! | |
| On appelle à se mobiliser via une opération escargot demain. | They’re calling for a rolling blockade tomorrow. |
Despite the similarity to the English expression, opération escargot does not mean "to move at a snail’s pace" outside of this particular context. When talking about a person walking slowly or a non-deliberate traffic jam, the French equivalent is avancer comme une tortue.
Related vocabulary
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