‖ carte blanche
(kart blɑ̃ːʃ)
Also 8 chart blanch, charte blanche.
[Fr. (formerly charte blanche): = blank paper.]
1. A blank paper given to any one on which to write his own conditions.
| 1707 Ld. Raby in Hearne Collect. (1886) II. 43 Who sent Chart Blanch to make a Peace. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 299 ¶2, I threw her a Charte Blanche, as our News Papers call it, desiring her to write upon it her own Terms. 1864 Kirk Chas. Bold II. iii. ii. 154 Louis..returned a carte blanche which was filled up with the government of Guienne and a long list of inferior posts and emoluments. |
b. lit. Blank paper.
| 1790 Burke Fr. Rev. Wks. V. 285, I cannot conceive how any man can..consider his country as nothing but carte blanche, upon which he may scribble whatever he pleases. |
2. Hence fig. Full discretionary power granted.
| 1766 Chesterfield Lett. cccc. (1792) IV. 235 Mr. Pitt, who had carte blanche given him, named every one of them. 1809 Windham Let. in Speeches Parl. (1812) I. 114 Unless I can have carte blanche as to my military plans. 1861 A. Beresford-Hope Eng. Cathedr. 19th C. 185, I may venture to assume carte blanche in arguing the impossibility of basilican revival. 1879 Lond. Soc. Christm. No. 47/1 Our good easy vicar gave me carte blanche to use this organ. |
3. Piquet. A hand containing no picture-cards. (The French is avoir cartes blanches to have blank cards; the earlier Eng. was blank or blanche.)
| [1651 Royal Game Picquet 6 If he..find that he hath never a Coat Card in his hand, he saies..I have a Blanche. 1659 Shuffling, Cutting, & Deal. 7, I am blanck. 1676 Cotton Compl. Gamester vi. 88 (Picket) He that hath a Blank..his Blank shall hinder the other Picy..and Repicy.] 1820 Hoyle's Games Impr. 112 Carte Blanche, means a hand without a court card in the twelve dealt, which counts for ten. 1850 Bohn Handbk. Games 200. 1882 Laws of Piquet Law xviii, Carte blanche..scores first, and consequently saves a pique or a repique. |