Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

bonant malant

English translation:

on the average (bon an, mal an)

Added to glossary by Jean-Claude Gouin
Sep 10, 2007 13:30
16 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

bonant malant

Non-PRO French to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Peut-on vivre de sa créativité en Afrique ?

C’est comme tout : beaucoup d’appelés, très peu d’élus. Et çà ça n’a pas de frontière çà mais il est clair qu’il est beaucoup plus difficile de vivre de son art à l’heure actuelle en notre continent. Cependant il y en a qui s’en sortent quand même, il y a des gens qui en vivent, des gens qui sont dans le continent, il y a des cinéastes qui ne vivent pas toujours à l’extérieur et qui sont dans leur continent et qui bonant malant essaient de survivre. Est-ce que “vivre” : je ne sais pas, mais “survivre” oui !

Could someone please tell me what bonant malant means here please?
Change log

Sep 11, 2007 11:36: Jean-Claude Gouin Created KOG entry

Discussion

sneaky13 Sep 10, 2007:
bon an mal an (pas bonant malant)
liz askew Sep 10, 2007:
Your other query:
It happens elsewhere too, not just here (in Africa). I think this is the meaning...
CateA (X) (asker) Sep 10, 2007:
Plus: I'm also not sure what point the speaker is making when he says "Et çà ça n’a pas de frontière" so if anyone would be kind enough to clarify that for me, thank you in advance.

Proposed translations

+5
18 mins
Selected

on the average

bon an, mal an (good year, bad year) NOT "bonant malant" ...

http://www.expressio.fr/expressions/bon-an-mal-an.php
Peer comment(s):

agree Paul Kozelka
10 mins
Merci Paul ...
agree katsy
1 hr
Merci katsy ...
agree Lidija Lazic : exactement!
3 hrs
Merci Lidija ...
agree wolmix
5 hrs
Merci wolmix ...
agree sneaky13
5 hrs
Merci sneaky13 ...
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks very much everyone. I think this is the meaning."
9 mins

through thick or thin/for better or worse

...
Something went wrong...
+2
12 mins

more or less

usual translation is "willy nilly", haphazardly, but here "more or less" is more appropriate.
Regarding "ca n'a pas de frontière", means that making it in this area doesn't depend on where you live, that it's not harder in Africa. ("regardless of the country" or "worldwide" possibly
Peer comment(s):

agree Emma Paulay : Or "pretty much"
4 mins
thanks!
agree Assimina Vavoula
19 mins
thanks
Something went wrong...
15 mins

come what may

may be appropriate here
Something went wrong...
+2
4 hrs
French term (edited): bon an mal an

who try to survive as best they can

is how I would say it
Peer comment(s):

agree clemote
2 hrs
agree MoiraB : makes a lot more sense than the accepted answer! ;-)
13 hrs
Something went wrong...
5 hrs

to a certain degree

..
Something went wrong...
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