Literal Translation
Not to go at it with a dead hand
Actual Meaning
Not to go easy on something
Etymology
The expression ‘ne pas y aller de main morte’ has been in use since the 17th century. Originally, it meant ‘to strike hard’ or ‘to attack violently’. To do so, it was best to have a strong, lively hand! Nowadays, the expression means ‘to exaggerate’ or ‘to go overboard’.
No wonder it is often confused with ‘ne pas y aller avec le dos de la cuillère’ (not to use the back of the spoon), which means exactly the same thing: ‘to speak or act bluntly, to go hard, to exaggerate’. Indeed, the back of the spoon doesn’t break a crème brûlée like the tip does!