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La loup dans la bergerie

English translation: The fox is in the the henhouse


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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:La loup dans la bergerie
English translation:The fox is in the the henhouse
Entered by: Sinead Healy
Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

10:46 Jul 20, 2004
French to English translations [PRO]
Slang
French term or phrase: La loup dans la bergerie
Does any have a nice equivalent for this proverb?

The full context, for info, is as follows:
"Le pirate n'a alors qu'à venir y brancher son ordinateur et le loup est dans la bergerie."
- the cat is in the bag?"
All help much appreciated!
Sinead Healy
Local time: 08:03
The fox is in the the henhouse
Explanation:
"Fox in the henhouse" is widely used, with variations, according to Google.

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Note added at 1 day 1 hr 57 mins (2004-07-21 12:44:18 GMT)
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This has really turned out to be a fun question.
Selected response from:

translatol
Local time: 08:03
Grading comment
Wow! What a response! Excellent! Yes this is definitely the best option by far, many thanks for your support ;-)
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +10The fox is in the the henhousetranslatol
4 +9the cat has been set among the pigeonsRowan Morrell
5 +2the wolf is in the foldCarolynB
4the wolf is in the sheep-fold
Brian Gaffney
4A wolf in sheep's clothing
Tony Pratschke


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
the cat has been set among the pigeons


Explanation:
You wouldn't say "cat is in the bag", but there is a saying about the cat being set among the pigeons, which sounds like it might be the equivalent of the French phrase.

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Note added at 5 mins (2004-07-20 10:52:45 GMT)
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Here you might say something like \"That\'ll set the cat among the pigeons\".

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Note added at 7 mins (2004-07-20 10:54:12 GMT)
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Actually, the Collins Robert says \"set the fox to mind the geese\".

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Note added at 8 mins (2004-07-20 10:55:13 GMT)
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In fact, \"fox is in the henhouse\" might be even better yet!

Rowan Morrell
Local time: 21:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  translatol: This is a good alternative, I agrre that 'cat in the bag' expresses a different meaning.
4 mins
  -> Thanks translatol.
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
19 mins
  -> Thanks Vicky.
agree  Kit Cree
20 mins
  -> Thanks Kit.
agree  Paul Lambert: Yes Rowan - cat among the pigeons - cat/bag phrase is 'to let the cat out of the bag', something entirely different. ;o)
28 mins
  -> Yes indeedy - thanks Paul.
neutral  Franck Le Gac: Interesting question: English has all these predator/prey metaphors, but in French they get translated differently by dictionaries: for cat/pigeons, "lancer un pavé dans la mare" (Rob-Coll), which 'only' means to cause a stir, to upset sne's habits.
42 mins
  -> Thank you for those observations, Franck.
agree  Orla Ryan
1 hr
  -> Thanks Orla.
agree  xxxBourth: THis is the one I like best. It DOES imply resulting chaos, which might not be the primary signification of the French.
2 hrs
  -> Good point - thanks Bourth.
agree  Sheila Hardie: this is the most commonly used phrase in English in my opinion
3 hrs
  -> Thanks Sheila.
agree  1045
3 hrs
  -> Thanks 1045.
neutral  Tony Pratschke: "to set the cat among the pigeons" usually implies doing or saying something deliberately to cause upset.
14 hrs
  -> That can often be the purpose of a malicious pirate or hacker.
agree  Jennifer White: yes, I'd use this too.
1 day6 hrs
  -> Thanks Jennifer.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
the wolf is in the fold


Explanation:
nice echoes of Byron and the Bible while folloiwng the same metaphor as the original

CarolynB
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  xxxBourth: My second preference. I'm simply not familiar with the fox/henhouse one; the situation, yes, the expression, no.
1 hr
agree  translatol: I like this one too, especially as it keeps the same metaphor. I don't think 'sheep' (see Brian Gaffney's answer) is mentioned in the traditional expression.
1 day43 mins
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
the wolf is in the sheep-fold


Explanation:
I like CarolynB's answer, but I'd include "sheep" before "fold" for clarity of image and for the sound of it.

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Note added at 5 hrs 52 mins (2004-07-20 16:38:58 GMT)
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It\'s not a case of the cat being in the bag or the fox being set to mind the geese, really. The meaning is that the predator has breached the defences meant to protect the vulnerable. The fox in the henhouse is correct as regards the exact meaning of the French phrase. We\'ve had a fox in our henhouse, and it\'s total devastation! But I like the wolf in the sheep-fold, as it captures the menace of the original. More gore!


Brian Gaffney
Local time: 08:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
A wolf in sheep's clothing


Explanation:
This is the common English phrase that I think approximates to the French offered. It means someone is pretending to be something he/she isn't and has predatory intentions. Without knowing the broader context in which the phrase was offered I think that this is a possible interpretation. As ever, I am modest in my assertions! ;-)

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Note added at 14 hrs 11 mins (2004-07-21 00:58:28 GMT)
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Interpreting the phrase in the context offered, I would say \"The fox is now in sheep\'s clothing\"!

Tony Pratschke
Ireland
Local time: 08:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in IrishIrish
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +10
The fox is in the the henhouse


Explanation:
"Fox in the henhouse" is widely used, with variations, according to Google.

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Note added at 1 day 1 hr 57 mins (2004-07-21 12:44:18 GMT)
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This has really turned out to be a fun question.

translatol
Local time: 08:03
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Wow! What a response! Excellent! Yes this is definitely the best option by far, many thanks for your support ;-)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Hacene
3 mins
  -> Thank you for your support.
agree  Martine Brault
6 mins
  -> Thank you for your support.
agree  Allan Jeffs
13 mins
  -> Thank you for your support.
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
16 mins
  -> Thank you for your support.
agree  N.M. Eklund
30 mins
  -> Thank you for your support.
agree  Franck Le Gac: Better reflects the predator/prey relationship in the original French expression, in my opinion, as well as the image of the 'pirate' used in the same sentence.
44 mins
  -> I agree. Thank you.
agree  NancyLynn: yep, the predator is minding the eventual victims. The cat is in the bag = the deal has been struck
44 mins
  -> I agree. Thank you.
agree  writeaway: but please note: I am not "supporting" you at all. just agree with this solution. these are not elections or popularity contests, just choices for a translation. it's not for one and against another. these are just opinions being offered, not 'support'.
57 mins
  -> I meant support for this being a good translation and not for me personally, although the Kudoz point system does encourage competitiveness. Anyway I see your point and will stop using the word.
agree  1045
3 hrs
  -> Thank you.
neutral  Tony Pratschke: "a fox in the henhouse" implies someone causing very obvious havoc
14 hrs
  -> Yes, so it depends on the situation referred to, and on that point we lack information. Anway, thank you.
agree  RHELLER: excellent!
1 day14 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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