Francophonie· hard· formal
battre la chamade
“to beat the chamade (surrender signal)”
Meaning
To beat wildly (said of the heart)
Explanation
It means your heart is going mad, usually from love or nerves. You'll almost never hear it used about anything other than a pounding heart.
Example
Quand il l'a vue entrer dans la pièce, son coeur s'est mis à battre la chamade.
When he saw her enter the room, his heart started pounding wildly.
Origin
Chamade comes from the Italian chiamata (a call), via the verb chiamare (to call). From the 16th century onward it described the drum or trumpet signal that besieged troops sounded to request a parley or surrender. So a heart "beating the chamade" is really a heart waving a white flag, usually to love or fear.
Source