play on

exploiter, jouer sur

Utiliser les peurs, les espoirs ou les faiblesses de quelqu’un pour l’influencer.

En anglais simple : To use someone’s fears, hopes, or weaknesses to influence them.

• He played on her fears.
• These adverts play on our wish to look younger.
• Are you trying to play on my guilt?

Comment l'utiliser : play on someone’s feelings (The advert plays on parents’ fears.)

Synonymes : exploit, take advantage of

Expressions courantes : play on fears, play on someone’s guilt

continuer à jouer

Poursuivre un jeu ou une interprétation musicale.

En anglais simple : To continue playing a game or making music.

• The band played on.
• Despite the rain, both teams played on.
• The referee told us to play on.

Synonymes : keep playing, continue

Contraires : stop

Expressions courantes : play on quietly, play on despite something

faire un jeu de mots sur, jouer sur

Utiliser des sons semblables ou différents sens des mots pour faire rire ou produire un effet.

En anglais simple : To use similar sounds or different meanings of words to make a joke or create an effect.

• The joke plays on two meanings of “light”.
• Her slogan played on the company’s name.
• This poem plays on words that sound alike.

Comment l'utiliser : play on something (The title plays on the word “spring”.)

Synonymes : make a pun on

Expressions courantes : play on words, play on a name

tourmenter, peser sur

Revenir sans cesse dans les pensées de quelqu’un et l’inquiéter ou le faire culpabiliser.

En anglais simple : To keep troubling someone’s thoughts or making them feel guilty.

• The mistake played on my mind.
• Her lie has been playing on her conscience for weeks.
• Does that memory still play on your mind?

Comment l'utiliser : play on someone’s mind/conscience (The unanswered question played on his mind.)

Synonymes : weigh on, trouble, haunt

Expressions courantes : play on someone’s mind, play on someone’s conscience

couvrir

Occuper une position qui empêche un joueur adverse d’être considéré hors jeu.

En anglais simple : To stand where your position keeps an opposing player within the rules rather than offside.

• The defender played him on.
• Your position played their striker on when the pass was made.
• Who played the attacker on before that goal?

Comment l'utiliser : play someone on (The last defender played the striker on.)

Synonymes : keep onside

Expressions courantes : play someone on, play the striker on

revenir sur, reprendre

Revenir plusieurs fois sur une même idée ou un même thème dans un texte ou un discours.

En anglais simple : To return repeatedly to a particular idea or theme in writing or speech.

• The poem plays on the theme of loneliness.
• His speech played on the idea of national unity.
• Several chapters play on the conflict between duty and desire.

Comment l'utiliser : play on a theme/idea (The novel plays on the idea of lost identity.)

Synonymes : return to, revisit

Expressions courantes : play on a theme, play on an idea