Literal Translation
In two strikes of a pot spoon
Actual Meaning
Quickly and without difficulty, in two shakes of a lamb’s tail I think
Etymology
The pot spoon is the name given to a boarding sword in sailing ships. It is so named because it has a spoon-shaped shell to protect the hand. With two blows, an opponent could be eliminated. According to Alain Rey, the expression originated just before the First World War, and the pot spoon was the name given to the large ladle used by cooks to fill the mess tins of soldiers or prisoners. It conveys a notion of speed.