grosses de tête... ventre mou
English translation: top-knobs... run-of-the-mill...
| 11:10 Jun 27, 2007 |
| French to English translations [PRO] Marketing - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / consultant interview | |||||||
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|  Selected response from: Tony M France Local time: 22:50 | ||||||
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| Discussion entries: 2 | |
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Answers
6 mins confidence: 
peer agreement (net): +1
peer agreement (net): +1| grosses de tete... ventre mou... top-knobs... run-of-the-mill... Explanation: I was wondering about: "Before we used to be up there with the top-knobs [or: leaders], but now we're just more run-of-the-mill [or: mainstream]" I'd love to be able to work in "soft underbelly" or "flabby...", but I really don't see how it could be made to work in EN. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 26 mins (2007-06-27 11:37:35 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Ah, now you didn't mention anything about a US audience! I think CMJ's suggestion of cycling metaphors is a good one. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 27 mins (2007-06-27 11:37:57 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- 'also-rans' might be going a bit too far... |
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34 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
peer agreement (net): +1| grosses de tete... ventre mou - pls see entire phrase Big players Explanation: ..before we were up there with the big players but now..... (now I don't have a suggestion for the last part of the sentence!! but somebody could add to it!). (I was going to suggest 'running with the big boys' but it wouldn't be very PC, so you got players instead) -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 36 mins (2007-06-27 11:47:05 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Joe Bloggs? Joe Average? -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 37 mins (2007-06-27 11:48:02 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- or Average Joe rather.....? |
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1 hr confidence:
| grosses de tete... ventre mou - pls see entire phrase bucking broncos / donkey derby Explanation: "We used to be bucking broncos, now it's more like the donkey derby." Superbowl might be another lead to follow given that this is for the US. Something about being league one and now being on the sidelines? Superbowl / football isn't my thing but it may be someone else's cup of tea! |
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1 hr confidence:
| grosses de tete... ventre mou - pls see entire phrase hard-headed...soft-bellied Explanation: suggestion or: stubborn vs. lazy... |
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1 hr confidence:
| grosses de tete... ventre mou - pls see entire phrase graphic imagery Explanation: Maybe you could use the normal/Gaussian distribution curve, a sort of "cloche" shape where the greater mass is in the middle. The curve of such a graph is often referred to as a "ventre" or "loop" in English. "We were once at the thin leading edge of the distribution curve, though closer to the slope than to the cutting edge, but now we're in with the mass of the middle spread" (reminiscent of "middle age spread", so "ventre mou"). |
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23 hrs confidence:
| grosses de tete... ventre mou - pls see entire phrase big honchos/small fry Explanation: just trying another angle |
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