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French: grosses pointures

English translation: hotshots







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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:grosses pointures
English translation:hotshots
Entered by:Marc Glinert
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2:08pm Mar 7, 2006Login or register (free) for more options.
French to English translations [PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / Savings and investments
French term or phrase: grosses pointures
Article on IT management, discussing the fact that most IT managers incapable of understanding (technically) what their employees are doing:

"Bien sûr, certaines grosses pointures sont capables de suivre, mais la plupart ne le peuvent pas, même s'ils sont informaticiens."

Thanks
Laurence Nunny
Spain
Clarification request(s) and response
Laurence Nunny: 11:35am Mar 9, 2006: Thanks everyone -

IT hotshots
Explanation:
we are starting to have a considerable choice here, but bear in mind, Laurence, that it is intellectual capacity that is at stake (mangers capable of techically understanding...). Therefore I think we can rule out those options that relate to the importance/rank of the persons in question (Top brass, or whatever..)
Selected response from:

Marc Glinert
France
Note from asker to answerer
I think this fits best
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6top dogs / big bosses
Allan Jeffs
4 +3top brassCarlos Segura
3 +3heavy hitters/heavyweights/big names
Sara Freitas-Maltaverne
4 +1big guns
Conor McAuley
3 +2senior managers
Claire Cox
3 +2IT hotshotsMarc Glinert


  

Answers

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
top dogs / big bosses

Explanation:
What about this?!

Allan Jeffs
France
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne: I was thinking of "big cheese" or "hot shots" but in context, this hits the right note - familiar terminology without any suggestion of lack of respect
32 mins
  -> Thanks Nikki
agree Anna Fitzgerald: I was thinking "big wigs", but "big bosses" seems more appropriate for management while keeping the tone of the original
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Anna
agree Heather Socie
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Heather
agree IC --
3 hrs
agree Charlie Bavington: Quite. A situation I used to be only too familiar with in my previous life :-)
4 hrs
agree Assimina Vavoula
5 hrs
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
heavy hitters/heavyweights/big names

Explanation:
I would say that this refers to their skill levels...only the really skilled managers can follow what their subordinates are doing from a technical point of view...

Sara Freitas-Maltaverne
France
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree marie-christine périé
10 mins
  -> Thanks
agree Helen Godfrey: Big names imo
14 mins
  -> Thanks!
agree IC --
3 hrs
  -> Thanks!
neutral Charlie Bavington: have to say I read "la plupart" as "la plupart des grosse Ps", i.e. that they absolutely do not have the technical knowledge required to keep up. Which also reflects my personal experience :-)
4 hrs
  -> Hi Charlie, I don't think I stated my answer very well, but this is exactly what I meant. Only the (management, not IT) heavyweights can truly keep up, but most managers don't have what it takes, even if they are IT specialists.
neutral Marc Glinert: well anecdotes anecdotes you will cry, but in my experience, grosses pointures is used to describe folk with highly developed technical skill in a given area. It does not denote rank/seniority within the organisation.
19 hrs
  -> Could be...have no idea what you are talking about with the anecdotes anecdotes thing...
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
top brass

Explanation:
Naturally, some among the top brass will be capable of...

Carlos Segura
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Flo Demolis
2 mins
  -> Many thanks.
agree Patricia Lane
1 hr
  -> Many thanks.
agree Nikeeta Kulkarni
15 hrs
  -> Many thanks.
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
senior managers

Explanation:
Of course, it depends on the tone of the rest of your article, but I wonder if this would suffice?

Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 3

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree Charlie Bavington: I think you deserve an "agree" if only to make up for the fact that icg, who always agrees with everyone, has chosen not to agree with you :-)
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Charlie - I'm touched!
agree Assimina Vavoula
5 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
IT hotshots

Explanation:
we are starting to have a considerable choice here, but bear in mind, Laurence, that it is intellectual capacity that is at stake (mangers capable of techically understanding...). Therefore I think we can rule out those options that relate to the importance/rank of the persons in question (Top brass, or whatever..)

Marc Glinert
France
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Note from asker to answerer
I think this fits best

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree IC --
1 hr
  -> thanks icg
neutral Charlie Bavington: see comment to Sara
3 hrs
  -> well icg agrees me with Charlie! but I don't share your interpretation. It's la plupart (des senior managers), à l'exclusion des qqs grosses pointures qui eux arrivent à suivre. Sorry for the franglais
agree Conor McAuley: I like it! Charlie's a bit grumpy recently - eh Charlie? ;-))) - don't mind him // see my new post - egghead is probably pejorative, featured on BBC's Balderdash recently
1 day20 hrs
  -> Hi Conor and thanks your "eggheads" gets the same message across, but is perhaps less flattering!
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
big guns

Explanation:
eggheads

http://www.answers.com/topic/egghead

IT geniuses

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day21 hrs (2006-03-09 11:52:28 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

Egghead is probably pejorative:

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:1kcTItqX5g0J:en.wikiped...

Conor McAuley
France
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree IC --
2 hrs
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