pulled off a coup

[vil]

Dear teachers,

I will be enormously in your debt if you try your hands at elucidation the meaning of the expression “pulled off a coup”. I have a clue, but there is some danger to get a distorted picture of the events.

1799 - Napoleon Bonaparte pulled off a coup and declared himself dictator of France.

Then, in 1979, she pulled off a coup when she won the prestigious San Francisco
National Stand-Up Comedy Competition.

In February 1988, businessman Anwar Soliman pulled off a coup that created the
nation's second-largest Mexican fast food chain and the main competitor to ...

pull off = to perform in spite of difficulties or obstacles
pull off a last minute victory

Ironically, that made England more determined than ever to pull off the stirring victory at Headingley which levelled the series.
Skill Oxton just failed to pull off victory at Hightown on a rain affected wicket.
But Beaumont is already confident that the eight-year-old will make a bold bid to pull off the feat in 12 months' time.

coup = a brilliantly executed stratagem; a triumph

stratagem = a military maneuver designed to deceive or surprise an enemy.

BERMANS, the Liverpool commercial law firm, has pulled off a coup in civil litigation work.
…the players were happy and everyone agreed the Everton board had pulled off a coup in tempting their most successful manager back to Merseyside.

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Regards.

V.

[susiedqq]

To "Pull off" is an expression that means to be able to do resulting in something unexpected.

He pulled off the perfect crime and never got caught.

She managed to pull off a spectacular wedding with very little money.

[vil]

Hi susiedqq,

By good fortune I know the meaning of the phrase verb “pull off” namely:
pull off = to perform in spite of difficulties or obstacles
pull off a last minute victory
pull off =accomplish, bring off, especially in the face of difficulties or at the last minute. For example, “Inever thought we'd ever stage this play, but somehowwe pulled it off.”

There is discussing problems with the whole expression “pull off a coup” and especially the term “coup”. I couldn’t envisage that all-purpose usage of the “cope”. Picture my astonishment when I saw the term in question in three different sentences concerning the great Napoleon Bonaparte, the National Stand-Up Comedy Competition and the unostentatious businessman Anwar Soliman. (please see my sentences in my original post above).

Would you try to explain me the meaning of the whole expression “pull off a coup”?


Maybe I have to bear in mind the meaning of the following idiom, namely, count coup = “among certain Native American peoples, to ceremoniously recount one's exploits in battle” or the literal meaning of the term “coup” = seizure of power, rebellion?

Regards.

V.

[susiedqq]

to "pull off a coup" means to be able to rush in and take over the government with surprise.

[banderas]

Dear teachers,

I will be enormously in your debt if you try your hands at elucidation the meaning of the expression “pulled off a coup”. I have a clue, but there is some danger to get a distorted picture of the events.

1799 - Napoleon Bonaparte pulled off a coup and declared himself dictator of France.

Then, in 1979, she pulled off a coup when she won the prestigious San Francisco
National Stand-Up Comedy Competition.

In February 1988, businessman Anwar Soliman pulled off a coup that created the
nation's second-largest Mexican fast food chain and the main competitor to ...

pull off = to perform in spite of difficulties or obstacles
pull off a last minute victory

Ironically, that made England more determined than ever to pull off the stirring victory at Headingley which levelled the series.
Skill Oxton just failed to pull off victory at Hightown on a rain affected wicket.
But Beaumont is already confident that the eight-year-old will make a bold bid to pull off the feat in 12 months' time.

coup = a brilliantly executed stratagem; a triumph

stratagem = a military maneuver designed to deceive or surprise an enemy.

BERMANS, the Liverpool commercial law firm, has pulled off a coup in civil litigation work.
…the players were happy and everyone agreed the Everton board had pulled off a coup in tempting their most successful manager back to Merseyside.

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Regards.

V.

It looks like its meaning is evolving from violent taking of government power to achieve something really spectcular used figuratively depending on the given context.

[susiedqq]

A coup can happen at any time. It need not be violent. And it need not alway involve the overthrow of a government. It can even happen in the ownership of a company. But is it always a surprise. The term, "coup d'etat" is a sudden and unexpected bold stoke of policy, the sudden overthorw of a government.

The orginal question asked about the expression "pulled off a coup." That is American slang for "carried out a coup."

It could have been "executed a coup" or 'masterminded a coup" or "led a coup"

[vil]

Hi Banderas,

Thank you for your logical explanation. It is very plausible. I became aware you got the idea of my embarrassment about the using of the expression in question. I have obtained complete satisfaction with your interpretation concerning the expression “pulled off a coup”.

Regards.

V.

[vil]

Hi susiedqq,

Thank you for your precise explanation. It baffled all description I have obtained recently.

Thank you for your assiduity.

Regards.

V.

[banderas]

Hi Banderas,

Thank you for your logical explanation. It is very plausible. I became aware you got the idea of my embarrassment about the using of the expression in question. I have obtained complete satisfaction with your interpretation concerning the expression “pulled off a coup”.

Regards.

V.

you are welcome
I think, having seen your previous posts, the way you observe and analyse English language is impressive ( I am not paying a compliment now, it is true).