TIL: Coup d'œil
Apr. 4th, 2022 11:26 pmIt is mostly used (in English) in the military, where the coup d'œil refers to the ability to discern at one glance the tactical advantages and disadvantages of the terrain.
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The phrase popularly[clarification needed] comes from Clausewitz in his tome On War:When all is said and done, it really is the commander's coup d'œil, his ability to see things simply, to identify the whole business of war completely with himself, that is the essence of good generalship. Only if the mind works in this comprehensive fashion can it achieve the freedom it needs to dominate events and not be dominated by them.Napoleon remarked upon it:
There is a gift of being able to see at a glance the possibilities offered by the terrain...One can call it the coup d'œil militaire and it is inborn in great generals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d%27%C5%93il