monte-en-l'air

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French

Etymology

From monter en l’air (to go up in the air), from the fact that a burglar may have to climb over walls to break into a house.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mɔ̃.tɑ̃.l‿ɛʁ/

Noun

monte-en-l’air m (plural monte-en-l’air)

  1. (colloquial, dated) cat burglar
    Synonym: cambrioleur
    • 2019, Alain Damasio, chapter 3, in Les furtifs [The Stealthies], La Volte, →ISBN:
      — Si c’était un monte-en-l’air, il serait passé par le toit et il serait descendu en rappel : la serrure du toit aurait été forcée.
      "If it was a cat burglar, he would have got in through the roof and abseiled down; the lock on the roof would have been forced."

Further reading