to fold someone like a carpenter's rule

[anlora]

hello again !
I've got this "gritty stump of a man trying to fold someone like a carpenter's rule" that i need to translate in french
this is in a sport context... and i would appreciate very much if someone has an idea...

in advance, thank you

[BobK]

Originally Posted by anlora

hello again !
I've got this "gritty stump of a man trying to fold someone like a carpenter's rule" that i need to translate in french
this is in a sport context... and i would appreciate very much if someone has an idea...

in advance, thank you

Here is a carpenter's rule: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/imag...5/10411345.jpg
- as well as folding once in one dimension (as seen in this image) it folds again in another dimension (towards you as you look at the picture). So it folds in four (in the traditional case - more recent ones are more complex: http://content.answers.com/main/cont...entersRule.png ). It sounds like a very extreme sort of tackle - such as those administered by M. Chabal: Sébastien Chabal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .

As to the "gritty stump" I'm really not sure. I imagine the stump is a reference to a tree-stump: http://dcartnews.blogspot.com/Ball-Stump.jpg . A tree-stump is often referred to as "gnarled" - gnarled: Definition and Much More from Answers.com - so maybe that would be a good starting point for your translation.

b

[Davina]

Hi, Anlora - these seem to be 1) a metaphor and 2) a simile, respectively, not idioms. At least, they are not idioms in the States! Perhaps a direct translation will capture the same meaning.