Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
no cloak, no dagger
English answer:
idiom cloak and dagger
English term
no dagger, no messing
What do you understand by "no dagger, no messing"?
A dagger as a representation of betrayal?
and no messing?
Many thanks in advance.
| 4 +8 | idiom cloak and dagger |
Yvonne Gallagher
|
Oct 8, 2021 10:07: Yvonne Gallagher Created KOG entry
Non-PRO (1): Cilian O'Tuama
When entering new questions, KudoZ askers are given an opportunity* to classify the difficulty of their questions as 'easy' or 'pro'. If you feel a question marked 'easy' should actually be marked 'pro', and if you have earned more than 20 KudoZ points, you can click the "Vote PRO" button to recommend that change.
How to tell the difference between "easy" and "pro" questions:
An easy question is one that any bilingual person would be able to answer correctly. (Or in the case of monolingual questions, an easy question is one that any native speaker of the language would be able to answer correctly.)
A pro question is anything else... in other words, any question that requires knowledge or skills that are specialized (even slightly).
Another way to think of the difficulty levels is this: an easy question is one that deals with everyday conversation. A pro question is anything else.
When deciding between easy and pro, err on the side of pro. Most questions will be pro.
* Note: non-member askers are not given the option of entering 'pro' questions; the only way for their questions to be classified as 'pro' is for a ProZ.com member or members to re-classify it.
Responses
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
idiom cloak and dagger
they don't mess around (first) with cloak and dagger = an idiom maning background intrigue/secret activities
or with torture.
They don't waste time or beat about the bush but just go straight ahead and kill you (by shooting)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 17 mins (2021-09-24 12:32:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
https://grammarist.com/idiom/cloak-and-dagger/
Cloak-and-dagger describes an activity or operation that involves espionage, mystery or secrecy. Originally, cloak-and-dagger was a French term, de cape et d’épée, and also a Spanish term, de capa y espada, both of which translate literally as cape and sword. These phrases came from a type of dramatic play that was popular in these countries in the eighteenth century. In these dramas, a character often concealed his identity and his weapon behind a cloak. Note that the term cloak-and-dagger is properly rendered as hyphenated, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, as it is an adjective used before a noun. However, the term is sometimes seen without hyphens, as in cloak and dagger.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 mins (2021-09-24 12:37:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
and this definition of "dagger" includes this related term among others
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dagger
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2021-09-24 13:52:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
typo 1st line: (idiom} mEaning...
| agree |
philgoddard
31 mins
|
|
Many thanks:-)
|
|
| agree |
James A. Walsh
40 mins
|
|
Many thanks:-)
|
|
| agree |
Nadja Wieser
1 hr
|
|
Thanks:-)
|
|
| agree |
Barbara Carrara
: Although I like a messy murder. I am talking fictionally here. But, if I were to commit one...
2 hrs
|
|
Thanks! LOL (I personally like the Roald Dahl one with the frozen leg of lamb! But not messy at all and no blood:-)
|
|
| agree |
Yara Samir
8 hrs
|
|
Thanks:-)
|
|
| agree |
David Hollywood
: spot on
14 hrs
|
|
Thanks:-)
|
|
| agree |
Daryo
: Exactly! But the question needs to be reformulated first to "no cloak, no dagger", as as it is it's the result of wrong parsing and is basically meaningless.
2 days 10 hrs
|
|
Thanks. No cloak, no dagger, (+ no messing accentuates the immediacy of the killing)
|
|
| agree |
Amanda Foy
4 days
|
|
Many thanks:-)
|
Discussion
No, a dagger is the historical stereotype of a knife designed and used only for assassination.
Here it's part of "cloak and dagger" - the cloak being used to hide the dagger.