faire le dos rond - keep a low profile ( translation glossary) Idioms / Maxims / Sayings,Bus/Financial

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	faire le dos rond
English translation:	keep a low profile
Entered by:	Stephanie Mitchel

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1:41pm Feb 7, 2005

French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

French term or phrase: faire le dos rond

Article on Alcatel's rating downgrade.

"A long terme, je reste profondément convaincu que la demande de services des télécommunications sera l'une des rares à connaître une croissance soutenue. Mais il est impossible de dater la reprise et donc de faire le dos rond en attendant."

Stephanie Mitchel

KudoZ activity
Questions: 1423 (2 open)
Answers: 131

United States

keep a low profile (in the meantime)

Explanation:
one way

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Note added at 2005-02-07 13:46:48 (GMT)
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just let things tick over

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Note added at 2005-02-07 13:54:20 (GMT)
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TO MARK TIME in the meanwhile

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Note added at 2005-02-07 14:09:37 (GMT)
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the idea is to give oneself a hump so that things slide off it easily

Selected response from:

xxxCMJ_Trans
France

Note from asker to answerer

thanks again cmj_trans!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +5

keep a low profile (in the meantime)

xxxCMJ_Trans

3 +4

wait and see

Catherine Johnstone

4 +3

grin and bear it

Conor McAuley

3 +3

and weather it (crisis/recession/downgrade) in the meanwhile

Cecile Watrin

keep their heads down

Gabrielle Lyons

3 -1

and, therefore, arch the back in the meantime

Michel Lévy

Answers

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

keep a low profile (in the meantime)

Explanation:
one way

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Note added at 2005-02-07 13:46:48 (GMT)
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just let things tick over

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2005-02-07 13:54:20 (GMT)
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TO MARK TIME in the meanwhile

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2005-02-07 14:09:37 (GMT)
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the idea is to give oneself a hump so that things slide off it easily

xxxCMJ_Trans
France
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 67

Note from asker to answerer

thanks again cmj_trans!

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

and weather it (crisis/recession/downgrade) in the meanwhile

Explanation:
general meaning but that's probably not the best way to phrase it in English

Cecile Watrin
France
Native speaker of:

French

11 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

grin and bear it

Explanation:
HTH.

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Note added at 20 mins (2005-02-07 14:01:41 GMT)
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Presumably the image is of somebody carrying something, thus bearing something or indeed, bearing WITH something. Biblical (ref. Calgary) maybe.

Bear with it / bear with things.

Conor McAuley
France
Native speaker of:

English

29 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

and, therefore, arch the back in the meantime

Explanation:
A 'cat' expression

Michel Lévy
Canada
Works in field
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

disagree

Tony M: I don't think the idiom would be the same in English; yes, the FR means 'arch the back', but we simply don't use that expression in EN to mean the same thing as here...

3 mins

-> So says the French & English idioms dictionary :-)

neutral

writeaway: wouldn't that be faire le gros dos? anyway sorry, but arch the back doesn't really work in English

31 mins

-> it's, mais je puis vous garantir qu'en français faire le gros dos ou le dos rond c'est EXACTEMENT LA MÊME CHOSE

neutral

xxxdf49f: pas la même chose: faire le dos rond=se mettre en position de défense en attendant de laisser passer le problème - faire le gros dos=se mettre en position d'attaque (comme le chat)

1 hr

-> non, vous vous trompez - ou Robert & Larousse se trompent ;-)

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

wait and see

Explanation:
ok maybe too simple... but... clean would think
if really want a heavier metaphor, "weather the storm "could do... but would rather keep it very simple as wait and see, French is so easily over emphatic... that caution is in order... just ideas

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Note added at 2005-02-07 14:57:41 (GMT)
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undertranslating is always better than overtranslating, even if image slightly \"off\" would seem wise and wiser

Catherine Johnstone
France
Native speaker of:

French,

English
PRO pts in category: 3

1 hr confidence:

keep their heads down

Explanation:
Deftly combines defensive posture and lying low in one idiomatic expression :-)
e.g.
"Being a career makeover coach," says Shana Spooner ,"I’m finding two things -- either people are keeping their heads down and hoping not to be laid off or ... "
www.uliveandlearn.com/lessons/ lesson.cfm?lesid=323&pg=1

Gabrielle Lyons
United Kingdom
Native speaker of:

English

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French: faire le dos rond

English translation: keep a low profile