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Il y avait toujours beaucoup de filles avec moi

English translation: I was always surrounded by loads of girls (chicks, birds, etc.)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Il y avait toujours beaucoup de filles avec moi
English translation:I was always surrounded by loads of girls (chicks, birds, etc.)
Entered by: Tony M

13:19 Mar 28, 2007
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / From the introduction to a book
French term or phrase: Il y avait toujours beaucoup de filles avec moi
This appears simple, but I don't seem to be able to word it properly.

"J’avais une réputation de petit dur, j’étais le chef et c’était le grand kif. ***Il y avait toujours beaucoup de filles avec moi***, alors, les devoirs et les leçons.... En classe de 5ème mon père me fait changer d’école pour apprendre un métier dans une école professionnelle, au moins, disait-il, tu apprendras un métier. On a beau faire le malin, en ce temps là en Tunisie, on ne discute pas une décision de son père"

Also, presumably 5ième in Tunisia about 70 years ago was the same as 5ième in France today, so I can assume he was about 13 at the time?

Thanks.
Conor McAuley
France
Local time: 18:02
I was always surrounded by loads of girls / chicks etc.
Explanation:
...depending on register / period

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-03-28 15:38:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I don't think I entirely approve of my erudite prose being in any way associated with "the dog's bollocks", thank you VERY much! (indignant!) ;-))))

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-03-28 16:05:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course, as people have so kindly pointed out, 'chicks' would hardly be appropriate for the period — and I think is in any case more US in tone; for the UK, I'd have expected 'bird' (though even that, not back in the 30s!)
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 18:02
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +23I was always surrounded by loads of girls / chicks etc.
Tony M
4 +1there always were a lot of girls around me
Adam Lankamer


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
there always were a lot of girls around me


Explanation:
hth

Adam Lankamer
Poland
Local time: 18:02
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ben Gaia: But should be "there were always..."
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +23
I was always surrounded by loads of girls / chicks etc.


Explanation:
...depending on register / period

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-03-28 15:38:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I don't think I entirely approve of my erudite prose being in any way associated with "the dog's bollocks", thank you VERY much! (indignant!) ;-))))

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2007-03-28 16:05:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course, as people have so kindly pointed out, 'chicks' would hardly be appropriate for the period — and I think is in any case more US in tone; for the UK, I'd have expected 'bird' (though even that, not back in the 30s!)

Tony M
France
Local time: 18:02
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 128
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
Notes to answerer
Asker: I've just used the expression "the dog's bollocks" so this fits very well in UK Eng., thanks.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Istvan Nagy
1 min
  -> Thanks, Istvan!
agree  sktrans
2 mins
  -> Thanks, SKT!
agree  Estelle Demontrond-Box
2 mins
  -> Merci, Estelle !
agree  Frank Foley
3 mins
  -> Thanks, Frank!
agree  Jenny Duthie
4 mins
  -> Thanks, Jennie!
agree  Jerome Elhaik: agree
9 mins
  -> Merci, Jerome !
agree  NancyLynn
16 mins
  -> Thanks, Nancy!
agree  Julie Barber: but it doesn't say chicks, don't get carried away at the idea, it says girls......
19 mins
  -> Thnaks, Julie! Oh yes, indeed, you're so right!
agree  Alison Jenner
20 mins
  -> Thanks, Alison!
agree  Mark Nathan: although I suppose you have to be careful with a modern sounding voice narrating events that took place seventy years ago.
23 mins
  -> Thanks, Mark! Hmm, jes, indeed, 'fraid I skipped over that bit!
agree  Diane de Cicco: yes but "loads of" "surrounded by" seems a little redundant. I'd pick one or the other.
30 mins
  -> Thanks, Diane! I think it depends, on the kind of person speaking; typical sort of redundancy of natural speech, quite unsuitable for strict literary style, of course...
agree  Melzie
34 mins
  -> Thanks, Melzie!
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
47 mins
  -> Efharisto, Vicky!
agree  Gacela20
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Gacela!
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): not : chicks; doesn't fit the tone and times, as far as I understand it
1 hr
  -> Danke, Ingeborg! Yes, of course, you're absolutely right!
agree  tatyana000
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, tatyana!
agree  Sylvia Smith: speaking from personal experience?
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Sylvia! Hardly, I'd have run a mile...
agree  Swatchka
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Swatchka!
agree  xuebai
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Xuebai!
agree  Raymonde Gagnier: Is the "chicks" part inspired by Easter? ;-)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Rousselures! I really don't know WHERE they sprang from... must be Spring Fever!
agree  Rachel Fell: hm, poetry and literature (re Conor's comment)...;-)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Rachel!
agree  Katarina Peters: If "dog's bollocks" is used in the text, what the heck, why not leave "loads of chicks"...
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Katarina! Well, I guess it depends a bit which side of the Pond, but... after all... why not?
agree  Carol Gullidge: agree with Ingeborg (at least this side of the pond!)// Now you HAVE aged me! My daughters liked Grease!// You certainly know how to flatter a girl!
22 hrs
  -> Thanks, Carol! Yes, I realized my mistake, had 50s US stuck in my mind for some reason! Oh I know why! I was listening to 'Grease'! Quite subliminal, that! // :-) C'mon, you're younger than me, Carol!
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