Canada· medium· informal
manger une volée
“to eat a volley”
Meaning
to take a serious beating
Explanation
Whether it's a real scrap or a lopsided match, this covers getting properly beaten: a hiding in a fight, or a crushing loss in a game.
Example
Notre équipe a mangé une volée huit à zéro hier soir.
Our team got thoroughly thrashed eight to nothing last night.
Origin
'Volée' once just meant a flock of birds taking flight. By the 1600s a 'volée de coups' meant a volley of blows landing all at once, and from there it stretched to cover any proper beating or drubbing, in a fight or on a scoreboard.
Where
Quebec
Source
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