en deux coups de cuillère à pot

The French expression “en deux coups de cuillère à pot” translates directly to “in two ladle fulls from the pot.”

English meanings:

• in no time
• in two shakes of a lamb’s tale

French meaning:

• très rapidement, sans difficulté – very quickly, without difficulty

Note: that you an also say, “en trois coups de cuillère à pot” (in three ladle fulls from the pot). The metaphor is that the ladle fulls are being scooped out of the pot in quick succession.

Sample sentence:

• Pierre lit très rapidement. Il a fini le roman en deux coups de cuillère à pot. Pierre reads very fast. He finished the book in no time.

Synonymous expressions to say “in no time”:

• en un rien de temps – Lit: in a nothing of time
• en moins de temps qu’il ne faut pour le dire – Lit: in less time that’s necessary to say it
• en moins de deux – Lit: in less than two

more French expressions