Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
mettre en quenouille
English translation:
fray
Added to glossary by
Albert Golub
Feb 23, 2001 21:21
23 yrs ago
French term
Mary McArthur (X)
mettre en quenouille
French to English
Other
The sentence, as far as I can translate it means something like: "...building a bridge over the rips which mettent en quenouille the social fabric." I can't find this expression or plausible meanings for 'quenouille' for this sentence anywhere!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
5 hrs
Selected
fray
desintegrate ne correspond pas au tissu social (le mot tissu est utilise dans ce contexte en français)
la traduction serait "reconstruire des liens (passerelles) pour éviter la fracture sociale", que le tissu social ne s'effiloche
"fracture sociale" theme politique assene quotidiennement
en fait c'est assez difficile sans le contexte total
la traduction serait "reconstruire des liens (passerelles) pour éviter la fracture sociale", que le tissu social ne s'effiloche
"fracture sociale" theme politique assene quotidiennement
en fait c'est assez difficile sans le contexte total
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Sorry for the delay on my end, but I appreciate how quickly you got back to me (both answers)!
Mary McArthur"
2 hrs
to fray=effilocher (same meaning)
tomber en quenouille means to lose its strength,energy (1913)
originally thee "quenouille" was a stick used to spin wool, the original block of wol was divided into thin threads
it is the same image apllied to social fabric
hope it helps
originally thee "quenouille" was a stick used to spin wool, the original block of wol was divided into thin threads
it is the same image apllied to social fabric
hope it helps
2 hrs
Barnaby Capel-Dunn
Native in English
Wide interests, passion for accuracy
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Works in: French to English
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42
weaken, loosen
This is a tough one. I can't find "mettre en quenouille" either!The expression "TOMBER en quenouille" means "fall to pieces" or "die out". In the context, therefore, would "weaken (or loosen) the social fabric" make sense?
Reference:
4 hrs
Madeleine van Zanten
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in French
Switzerland
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65
disintegrate
Since this is a social context, maybe disintegrate could be used?
5 hrs
Alan Boydell
France
France
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English
France
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?
The most plausible meaning of the expression with 'mettre' would be 'laisser tomber (en quenouille)', meaning allowing to fall into ruins, oblivion - but also turning your back on, declining, turning down a birthright, hereditary privilege, etc.
The expression 'tomber en quenouille' originally meant for land or estate to fall (usually through inheritence) into the hands of a woman, with all the negative connotations that would have carried a few hundred years ago. It then went on o refer to a man dominated by his wife and nowady mainly carries the meaning given above.
The expression 'tomber en quenouille' originally meant for land or estate to fall (usually through inheritence) into the hands of a woman, with all the negative connotations that would have carried a few hundred years ago. It then went on o refer to a man dominated by his wife and nowady mainly carries the meaning given above.
5 hrs
jcv (X)
jcv (X)
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3
note
tomber en quenouille = se dit d'un héritage, d'une succession tombant entre les mains d'une femme!
Ne validez pas ma réponse!
Ne validez pas ma réponse!
6 hrs
quenouille = distaff or stopper rod
"Quenouille" is a rod on which fabric winds
Reference:
12 hrs
Victor Foster
United States
United States
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United States
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209
unravel
perhaps fray is closer to themeaning you want but if the fabric is figuratively wound around something, it could follow that something could ause it to unravel, not a positive result
15 hrs
fray OR weaken OR loosen OR desintegrate
All the above apply. Everybody is right.
"mettre en quenouille" est une variante ou une expression plus ou moins corrompue de "tomber en quenouille".
Voir le sens de "quenouille"
Loc. (XVIe). Vx ou littér. TOMBER EN QUENOUILLE, se disait d'une maison dont une femme devenait l'héritière. (- Succession). - (D'un homme). Tomber sous la domination d'une femme. - Par ext. PERDRE SA FORCE, SA VALEUR. Coutume qui tombe en quenouille. Tomber dans l'oubli, échouer. (Grand Robert électronique).
Citation:
C'est terrible, un homme qui tombe en quenouille. Antoine est fini.
A. MAUROIS, Bernard Quesnay, XXXII.
"mettre en quenouille" est une variante ou une expression plus ou moins corrompue de "tomber en quenouille".
Voir le sens de "quenouille"
Loc. (XVIe). Vx ou littér. TOMBER EN QUENOUILLE, se disait d'une maison dont une femme devenait l'héritière. (- Succession). - (D'un homme). Tomber sous la domination d'une femme. - Par ext. PERDRE SA FORCE, SA VALEUR. Coutume qui tombe en quenouille. Tomber dans l'oubli, échouer. (Grand Robert électronique).
Citation:
C'est terrible, un homme qui tombe en quenouille. Antoine est fini.
A. MAUROIS, Bernard Quesnay, XXXII.
Reference:
1 day 20 hrs
Heathcliff
United States
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carrying out the textile metaphor,
may I suggest (rather than "building a bridge," which introduces a different metaphor) simply "...mending the frayed fabric of society..." or "...mending the tears that threaten to unravel the fabric of society..."? -- You get the idea.
Cheers,
HC
Cheers,
HC
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