remettre les pendules à l’heure

“Remettre les pendules à l’heure” is fun figurative French expression that translates literally to “to put the clocks back to the [right] hour.” Here are a few English meaings:

• to set the record straight
• to lay it on the line
• to make no bones about something

A French meaning of the expression according to expressio.fr is to come to agreement on topic of discussion, in order to move forward. Another meaning is simply to re-establish the truth.

Here’s an example sentence:

• Avant de quitter son emploi Pierre a voulu remettre les pendules à l’heure pour expliquer ce qui s’est vraiment passé. Before leaving his job Pierre wanted to set the record straight to explain what really happened.

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