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cow-boy de comptoir

English translation: barroom brawler/hellraiser

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:cow-boy de comptoir
English translation:barroom brawler/hellraiser
Entered by: Carol Gullidge

13:57 Apr 9, 2008
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / metaphor used in interview
French term or phrase: cow-boy de comptoir
Si je veux faire le bilan de ma vie, je dois tenir compte des sept dernières années, je n'en suis pas très fier..." Silence. Silence encore. Il a des choses sur le cœur, ____** le cow-boy de comptoir**_____ Brusquement, changement de ton: il raconte une histoire sur XXX...

________

a film actor reminiscing over his rather wild past. It would help if I only knew what "comptoir" refers to - bar brawls, possibly? He was well known for drinking, brawling, womanising...

Once again, no g-hits, so assume that this is another creative invention of the author. Any help would be much appreciated - many thanks!
Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:14
barroom brawler
Explanation:
Retains the spirit of the original French expression, and the alliteration. A well-known term that makes you think of Westerns, cowboys and shoot-outs, but also the modern-day equivalents.

barroom - Encyclopedia.com
- [ Traduire cette page ]
U.S. News & World Report; 1/28/1991; Duffy, Brian Lief, Louise; 796 words; A barroom brawler, he may turn to terror next Even if the United States and its ...
www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-barroom.html

Barroom Brawler's Baby Born Drunk
- [ Traduire cette page ]
Barroom Brawler's Baby Born Drunk. ... Barroom Brawler's Baby Born Drunk. Sunday October 5, 2003. A New York woman who went into labor during a barroom ...
alcoholism.about.com/b/2003/10/05/barroom-brawlers-baby-born-drunk.htm
Selected response from:

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 10:14
Grading comment
thanks, Sheila! This is the closest to what was eventually accepted - perhaps because it best fits the personality concerned
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2drugstore cowboy
emiledgar
3 +1Pretend cow-boy
Drmanu49
4barroom brawler
Sheila Wilson
4two-bit cowboy
Sandra Petch
3bar-stool baddy
Emma Paulay
3pillar of the bar
CMJ_Trans (X)
3Lager Lout
JoanneKinnear
3bar jockey
celandine
2Tresen Cowboy
Ingeborg Gowans (X)


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Pretend cow-boy


Explanation:
just for show at the bar but not the real guy.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2008-04-09 14:02:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or bar-room ball-room cowboy if he dresses up just for the occasion.

Drmanu49
France
Local time: 11:14
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 84
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks for the convincing suggestion!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Julie Barber: I don't think it's pretend, but bad behavoir at the bar counter and the surrounds!
1 hr
  -> not necessarily bad behavior.
agree  Claire Chapman: This is what it is, someone who sits at the bar as if he were a cowboy but who never actually does the work of a cowboy; but, it's not what we say :-)
5 hrs
  -> Thank you Claire.
neutral  writeaway: pretend isn't a word I'd use in the context. sounds childlike and not terrible masculine.
9 hrs
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Tresen Cowboy


Explanation:
don't know much about the person you are writing about, but if his past includes heavy drinking etc. this might fit, low confidence level, as I don't know anything about the context hope it gets the ball rolling; the expression seems to be "home-made"

Ingeborg Gowans (X)
Canada
Local time: 06:14
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks Ingeborg! I couldn't have used Tresen, but your answer was helpful nevertheless!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  writeaway: afaik Tresen is a German word, not used in En
41 mins
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
bar-stool baddy


Explanation:
I think it's just a vague reference to the time spent being a bad boy in bars. Cow-boy is just for alliteration with comptoir IMO.

Bad boy of the bars...

Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 11:14
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 126
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks Emma! I love the alliteration, and, not for the first time, really wish one could dish out double the points, and split them! This was pretty close...

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53 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
pillar of the bar


Explanation:
is probably all they mean

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 11:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 231
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks CMJ! I think the irony of the unexpected juxtaposition (pillar of society/wisdom) could have gone down well. I like it!

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Lager Lout


Explanation:
Maybe this would be another way of putting it - keeping the alliteration

JoanneKinnear
Local time: 10:14
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks Joanne! A nice idea, although I think this bloke is probably more the bourbon type. I should have mentioned that before!

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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
drugstore cowboy


Explanation:
Is not this just a French translation of the American expression "drugstore cowboy" which means a make-believe cowboy?

emiledgar
Belgium
Local time: 11:14
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 125
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks emil! I agree with the idea, although celandine has a point about connotations - possibly due to a film with that theme?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Claire Chapman: or urban cowboy http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bar cowboy
4 hrs
  -> Oui, merci.
agree  Ladda McLaren
4 hrs
  -> Thank you.
neutral  celandine: this has drug/medication connotations
1 day 5 hrs
  -> Not to my knowledge; drugstore being the social gathering place of a small town (at the counter). the drugstore is a pharmacy and general store all in one.
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
barroom brawler


Explanation:
Retains the spirit of the original French expression, and the alliteration. A well-known term that makes you think of Westerns, cowboys and shoot-outs, but also the modern-day equivalents.

barroom - Encyclopedia.com
- [ Traduire cette page ]
U.S. News & World Report; 1/28/1991; Duffy, Brian Lief, Louise; 796 words; A barroom brawler, he may turn to terror next Even if the United States and its ...
www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-barroom.html

Barroom Brawler's Baby Born Drunk
- [ Traduire cette page ]
Barroom Brawler's Baby Born Drunk. ... Barroom Brawler's Baby Born Drunk. Sunday October 5, 2003. A New York woman who went into labor during a barroom ...
alcoholism.about.com/b/2003/10/05/barroom-brawlers-baby-born-drunk.htm

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 10:14
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 64
Grading comment
thanks, Sheila! This is the closest to what was eventually accepted - perhaps because it best fits the personality concerned
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
two-bit cowboy


Explanation:
The expression immediately made me thing of that other popular French expression "philosopheur de comptoir" - the person leaning against the bar, after one drink too many, who will insist on putting the world and everyone else to rights but it's really just that much hot air.

Here, I think this man is saying he thought he was rough and tough like a cowboy but it was all just for show, all bravado.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2008-04-10 06:45:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, "think of" with a K!

Sandra Petch
Local time: 11:14
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks Sandra! I like this too - if the client hadn't opted to go down the other route!

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1 day 6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
bar jockey


Explanation:
someone who spends a lot of time at the bar - like a bar fly - seems a bit tame compared to the French and lacks the imagery - however drugstore cowboy is sth different and would imply some kind of addiction to medication/drugs... so perhaps not appropriate

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day7 hrs (2008-04-10 21:18:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

bar stool cowboy - American bf's suggestion : )

celandine
Local time: 17:14
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks celandine - another great idea!

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