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sapristi

English translation: For God's sake!; Good heavens!; Good Grief!; Wow!

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:sapristi
English translation:For God's sake!; Good heavens!; Good Grief!; Wow!
Entered by: Susana Galilea

02:50 Feb 26, 2003
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
French term or phrase: sapristi
It was made the subject of an e-mail sent to me
Sharon Taylor
For God's sake!
Explanation:
As best I know this is French...

... Glossary, •, "Allez vous-en! Sapristi!": French phrases meaning "Go
away! For God's sake!". •, Grand Isle: an island off the Louisiana ...
education.yahoo.com/college/student_life/ cliffsnotes/commentary/awakening.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages


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Note added at 2003-02-26 03:05:09 (GMT)
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http://www.france-jeunes.net/article.php?artid=3718

Pour commencer, les \"vulgarités\" de mamies :
- gourde = cruche = idiote = crétine = imbécile = conne
- enfer et damnation = malédiction = sapristi = zut = merde
- fille de joie = fille de mauvaise vie = fille éhontée = pute
- allez au diable = débarassez le plancher = foutez le camp
- importain = emmerdeur
ça peut aussi servir pour comprendre le language de certains profs !


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Note added at 2003-02-26 03:05:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A little stronger: \"Damn it!\"
Selected response from:

Susana Galilea
United States
Local time: 03:18
Grading comment
Thank you so much for your prompt attention, and kind help
Sharon Taylor
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5For God's sake!
Susana Galilea
4 +3Good heavens!
William Stein
4 +1wow
JCEC
4 +1Good Grief!
Jean-Luc Dumont
5Zounds! Ye gods!
Bourth (X)


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
For God's sake!


Explanation:
As best I know this is French...

... Glossary, •, "Allez vous-en! Sapristi!": French phrases meaning "Go
away! For God's sake!". •, Grand Isle: an island off the Louisiana ...
education.yahoo.com/college/student_life/ cliffsnotes/commentary/awakening.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-02-26 03:05:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://www.france-jeunes.net/article.php?artid=3718

Pour commencer, les \"vulgarités\" de mamies :
- gourde = cruche = idiote = crétine = imbécile = conne
- enfer et damnation = malédiction = sapristi = zut = merde
- fille de joie = fille de mauvaise vie = fille éhontée = pute
- allez au diable = débarassez le plancher = foutez le camp
- importain = emmerdeur
ça peut aussi servir pour comprendre le language de certains profs !


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-02-26 03:05:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A little stronger: \"Damn it!\"

Susana Galilea
United States
Local time: 03:18
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in pair: 319
Grading comment
Thank you so much for your prompt attention, and kind help
Sharon Taylor

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  swisstell: Cajun French
0 min
  -> not quite, just old fashioned
agree  Ethele Salem Sperling
1 hr
agree  Therese Nichols: Not strong---just old way to say "darn'it"
1 hr
agree  Rod Nelson: It's Québécois - "Sun of a gun!" etc.
3 hrs
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

49 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Good heavens!


Explanation:
Heavens to mergotroid!
Gosh o'willikins!

This is an old exclamation that is only used ironically now. It is a deformation of "sacristi", in much the same way as "darn" or "dang" or "dagnabit" are deformations of "damn it!".

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Note added at 2003-02-26 04:20:19 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Other popular deformations: fudge, shoot, shucks, bowsheet (as a nautical term), gosh, jeez, gee whiz, cripes.
From the Elizabethan era (we old folks still remember it well!): zounds (God\'s wounds), zblood (God\'s blood).

William Stein
Costa Rica
Local time: 02:18
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1737

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susana Galilea: or the all-time Proz fave "Heavens to Betsy" :-)
16 mins
  -> Please, Susana, not in the presence of children!!!
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
3 hrs
agree  Shog Imas
10 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
wow


Explanation:
"sapristi" is an exclamation with a positive spin expressing surprise or satisfaction.

JCEC
Canada
Local time: 04:18
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 1417

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cjohnstone: in a mail that's the best one
5 hrs
  -> Thanks
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Good Grief!


Explanation:
Good Grief, Charlie Brown!
Selected Cartoons from "Good Grief, More Peanuts!" by Charles M. Schulz.

Jean-Luc Dumont
France
Local time: 10:18
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 1108

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susana Galilea: c'est mignon
56 mins
  -> merci :-)
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Zounds! Ye gods!


Explanation:
Not used these days as an expression of surpise etc., so I'm giving some Shakespearian equivalents.

If the person sending the email is British, it might be a reference to the 1950s/60s BBC radio comedy "The Goon Show" which had a number of catchcries, including "Sapristi knuckles", or something like that. I think it was the arch villain who said that.

Bourth (X)
Local time: 10:18
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 18679
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