“Du tac au tac” is a French expression meaning immediately, with vivacity, like lightning, scathingly, or with a quick response. It has nothing to do with Tic Tacs or Tiktok. It comes from the world of fencing. In fencing, to retaliate “du tac au tac” means to reply immediately to an assault. The word “tac” refers to the sound that the blades of the fencing swords make when they strike each other.

A French book that discusses fencing and “du tac au tac” in some detail is “Les armes et le duel” (Weapons and the Duel) by Augustin Grisier. It also contains a preface by Alexandre Dumas, author of “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

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