A variant or anglicized spelling of 'en garde,' a fencing command meaning to be ready or on guard.
From French 'en garde' (literally 'on guard'), used as a fencing command. The French phrase comes from 'en' (in) plus 'garde' (guard, from Old French and Germanic roots).
Fencing tournaments still use 'en garde' to signal the moment of maximum tension—when both fighters are ready and the referee is about to start the match, creating one of the most suspenseful moments in sports!
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