faire long feu

== French == === Etymology === Literally, “to make long fire”. The literal reference is to a firearm that fails to fire because the explosive charge burns too slowly. The origin is different from that of ne pas faire long feu. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fɛʁ lɔ̃ fø/ === Verb === faire long feu to fizzle out, to fail ==== Usage notes ==== Faire long feu and ne pas faire long feu are not antonyms. Ne pas faire long feu means "not to last very long." This expression is not familiar in Canada, where faire long feu may be understood as meaning the contrary of ne pas faire long feu. ==== Conjugation ==== see faire === References ===