The Word of the day comes from THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood, which is shortlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize.
CARTE BLANCHE
NOUN
cartes blanches (plural noun)
complete freedom to act as one wishes.
"the architect given carte blanche to design the store"
synonyms: freedom · scope · a free hand · leeway · latitude · elbow room · space · room · flexibility · liberty · independence · play · slack · free play · leisure · licence · room to manoeuvre · scope for initiative · freedom of action · freedom from restriction · indulgence · laxity · margin · wriggle room · wiggle room(in piquet) a hand containing no court cards as dealt.
ORIGIN late 17th century: French, literally ‘blank paper’ (i.e. a blank sheet on which to write whatever one wishes, particularly one's own terms for an agreement).
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