à emporter

10:46 Sep 20, 2007

This question was closed without grading. Reason: Errant question

French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

French term or phrase: à emporter

The context is a comic film in which someone has just found out an old friend - an old sea salt - is dead.

They say: "Mais pour moi c’était plus qu’un ami! Un frère! Un frère aîné! Brutal à emporter mais un grand cœur!"

Is the sense of "à emporter" here the same as "à en crever", ie a form of emphasis? Or does it perhaps mean "on the surface" ("a real brute on the surface, but a heart of gold...")?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Melissa McMahon KudoZ activity Questions: 78 (none open) (17 closed without grading) Answers: 515 Australia
Local time: 20:45

Summary of answers provided

3 +2

a rough diamond

Jennifer Forbes

of rough behaviour but with a heart of gold

Laszlo Kocsis

tough on top but all heart inside

AllegroTrans

hard to swallow

jean-jacques alexandre

an angel in disguise

Carmen Archouniani

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

24 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

a rough diamond

Explanation:
You might say "He was a real rough diamond" - someone who's rough on the surface but sparkling underneath - in which case you wouldn't need to add "but had a heart of gold". Alternatively, it could mean "It was difficult spending time with him, but he had a heart of gold". Am I just confusing the issue?

Jennifer Forbes
Local time: 11:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: No, not confusing, very helpful. I think Melzie and Philippe are right though. Thank you anyway.

1 hr confidence:

of rough behaviour but with a heart of gold

Explanation:
being rough on the surface is behaving rougly or even brutally as the text suggest. On the other hand the person may be generous,helful so with a great heart or with a heart of gold as this may sound better in English

Laszlo Kocsis
Local time: 12:45
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Hungarian,

Romanian

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you Vandor. I think though this may have been a 'fausse piste'. I appreciate your help anyway.

1 hr confidence:

hard to swallow

Explanation:
as in difficult to put up with

jean-jacques alexandre
France
Local time: 12:45
Works in field
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 12

5 hrs confidence:

tough on top but all heart inside

Explanation:
suggestion

AllegroTrans
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 115

1 day 20 hrs confidence:

an angel in disguise

Explanation:
as an analogy to devil in disguise

Carmen Archouniani
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Armenian

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