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sur le fil

on the edge; down to the wire

→ sur
phrase Rare #40,321
on the edge; down to the wire Literally means “on the wire” or “on the thread.” In expressions such as sur le fil du rasoir, it means in a precarious or risky situation; for a competition, it means decided at the very last moment.
FR: Le match s'est joué sur le fil.
EN: The match was decided at the last moment.

Une république vit sur le fil du rasoir.

A republic lives on a knife edge.

Mets le fil rouge sur le fil vert.

Put the red wire on the green wire.

— La Haine (1995)

Vois-tu l'oiseau sur le fil de téléphone ?

Do you see the bird on the telephone wire?

La course s'est jouée sur le fil.

The race was decided by a hair.

J'ai observé un escargot ramper sur le fil d'un rasoir.

I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a razor.

— Apocalypse Now (1979)