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pamoison d'enseignes

English translation: a dizzying array of shop signs


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:pamoison d\'enseignes
English translation:a dizzying array of shop signs
Entered by: Miranda Joubioux
Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

15:24 Jan 17, 2012
French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: pamoison d'enseignes
Target = uk
Article on the urban planning of Tangier
Tone = literary/poetic

Alger avait Pépé le Moko, Tanger son Grand Socco et même son petit. Deux places, deux souks. De cette époque interlope surnagent des oripeaux. Une nostalgie cinquante, une pamoison d’enseignes : Salon de coiffure diplomatique, Épicerie Gagarine, Café de France, une ambiance saturée de nicotine, un mobilier de brocanteur d’où surgissent quelques pièces iconiques qu’on rêverait de chaparder.
Miranda Joubioux
Local time: 13:31
a dizzying array of shop signs
Explanation:
retains the style of the original text, "swooning" sounding too strong in English.
Selected response from:

Agnes Grand Fay
Local time: 13:31
Grading comment
This is what I used. Thank you.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3a heady profusion of shop signs
ormiston
3 +3a whirl of signs
Leslie Marcus
4 +1a dizzying array of shop signs
Agnes Grand Fay
4 +1dizzying variety of establishments
kashew
4an array of shop signsemiledgar
3shop names that make your head spinpolyglot45
3an ecstasy of signpostscc in nyc
3a rush of shop signs,
Paul Hirsh


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
an array of shop signs


Explanation:
funny use of pâmoison.

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Note added at 38 mins (2012-01-17 16:02:46 GMT)
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My thought was that the author is suggesting that if one loved the Fifties then this onslaught of period shop signs would make one swoon with pleasure...

emiledgar
Belgium
Local time: 13:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 106
Notes to answerer
Asker: My thoughts exactly. I'm struggling through this article. It's not your usual run of the mill urban planning article!

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42 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
shop names that make your head spin


Explanation:
stores with names that have you head reeeling.
Tangiers and the Soccos are all about strange names for shops, an old-fashioned 50ties atmosphere (though not so sure about the date - a bit more modern than that)

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Note added at 42 mins (2012-01-17 16:07:10 GMT)
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youR head

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 176
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45 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
an ecstasy of signposts


Explanation:
Perhaps, in this context?

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Note added at 46 mins (2012-01-17 16:10:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"Signposts" instead of "shop signs" in this case, to include "une ambiance saturée de nicotine."

cc in nyc
Local time: 07:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 111
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
a whirl of signs


Explanation:
I am really staying along the same lines as Paul's answer above in which he suggested dizzy with shop signs.
I left out the word shop to make it shorter and because given the text that follows, I think it will be clear the signs are for shops.

Leslie Marcus
France
Local time: 13:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Just Opera: Yes... I would also leave out "shop", as it retains the play on the meaning of "sign" better here.
21 mins
  -> Thanks.
neutral  kashew: Would maelstrom improve on whirl?
48 mins
  -> Maybe. In any case, the possibilities have got my head spinning! Thanks for your input.
agree  LaraBarnett: or whirlwind?
2 hrs
  -> Thanks. I thought about whirlwind but opted for whirl mainly because it's shorter.
agree  B D Finch
5 hrs
  -> Thanks, B D.
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35 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
a heady profusion of shop signs


Explanation:
might convey the dizziness?
was surprised to find it used in similar vein

Al Mulla Travels & Tourism





www.almullatravels.com/ - Traduire cette page


Buzzing Bangkok Bangkok is truly a city that never sleeps. The heady profusion of colours, sounds and smells in Bangkok really... Read More. Latest News ...


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Note added at 4 hrs (2012-01-17 19:38:38 GMT)
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they may not be shop signs, on reflection, maybe just brand names displayed all over the place, tacked onto buildings etc.

ormiston
Local time: 13:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 66
Notes to answerer
Asker: In another context I think this would have been perfect! Thank you


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  kashew: heady is exactly the word for me.
1 hr
  -> thanks Kashew!
agree  Lori Cirefice
6 hrs
agree  LauretteT
1 day16 hrs
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
a rush of shop signs,


Explanation:
the faintness or dizziness is hard to fit in as a noun, if you could qualify the oripeaux with "dizzy with shop signs" that could do the trick

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Note added at 25 mins (2012-01-17 15:49:43 GMT)
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Mind you Martin Amis would not hesitate to use "a swoon of shop signs"

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Note added at 6 hrs (2012-01-17 22:03:38 GMT)
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a rapture of signboards

Paul Hirsh
France
Local time: 13:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Notes to answerer
Asker: :- ) for Martin Amis


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  B D Finch: An odd sort of high?
5 hrs
  -> decidedly
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15 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
a dizzying array of shop signs


Explanation:
retains the style of the original text, "swooning" sounding too strong in English.

Example sentence(s):
  • Love is a spice with many tastes--a dizzying array of textures and moments.

    Reference: http://grammar.about.com/od/.../a/lovemetaphors.htm
Agnes Grand Fay
Local time: 13:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
This is what I used. Thank you.
Notes to answerer
Asker: I like the words dizzying array and I think it works well here. Thanks to emiledgar for this too.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dominique Broady
5 hrs
  -> Merci , thank you Dominique
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
dizzying variety of establishments


Explanation:
*" The dizzying selection. The alternately intoxicating and overwhelming smells seeping out of shop fronts and market stalls."


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Note added at 2 heures (2012-01-17 17:34:24 GMT)
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How about maelstrom - with the idea of being sucked in?

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Note added at 2 heures (2012-01-17 17:38:26 GMT)
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I keep coming back to intoxication/intoxicating, head-spinning...

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Note added at 23 heures (2012-01-18 14:32:03 GMT)
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I woke up with colonialism and pleiade on my mind: maybe you can somehow combine the two and avoid the 50s reference?

kashew
France
Local time: 13:31
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 50
Notes to answerer
Asker: I liked head-spinning and dizzying!

Asker: A maelstrom of market stalls would have been good! :-)


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dominique Broady
19 hrs
  -> Thanks
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