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comic timing

French translation: timing comique

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:comic timing
French translation:timing comique
Entered by: markmx

18:02 Aug 21, 2002
English to French translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary / comic wit in literature
English term or phrase: comic timing
literary; pace and dialogue, but meaning the same thing as the best in stand-up comedy
markmx
Local time: 13:16
timing / un/le sens du timing
Explanation:
There is no exact equivalent to "timing" as in "comic timing" in French, we borrow the English word.

"Timing", in comedy, is a matter of doing or saying the right thing at the appropriate moment.

An example:

X: So ask me what the most important thing in comedy is.
Y: OK. What's the...
X: Timing!


I'd use "avoir un sens du timing" (to have a sense of timing) or something like it whenever possible or at least at the beginning of the text to situate the word and to distinguish it from "timing"'s other possible interpretations in French.
Selected response from:

cheungmo
Grading comment
Thanks Cheungmo. You were first to the post with the right term. And thanks to everyone else for your input and explanations.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +4timing / un/le sens du timing
cheungmo
4 +2synchronisation (timing) comique
GILLES MEUNIER
5Drôle de timing!
Vamoura
4 +1sense de la chute
Simon Charass
5savoir placer un gag au bon moment
lien
4(avoir le sens) du timing comique
Jean-Luc Dumont
3Gag téléphoné...
Pierre POUSSIN


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
synchronisation (timing) comique


Explanation:
-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-21 18:13:54 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Faut se grouiller (Getting Started, 1979) et Le P\'tit Chaos (The Big Snit, 1986)
conjuguent un humour implacable avec une synchronisation comique impeccable. ...
www.nfb.ca/f/rayonnement/richard_condie.html - 21k - En cache - Pages similaires

Le mythe d\'Echo et de Narcisse
... Ou verront de grands matches de tennis, s\'émerveillant soudain de la synchronisation
comique à laquelle tous obéissent en suivant la balle des yeux ! ...
auriol.free.fr/clefsons/ClefDesSons/echo.htm - 39k - En cache - Pages similaires

AOL Chat December 23, 1997
... Et oui, je pense qu\'elle a la synchronisation comique impressionnante et elle
est comme une grande soeur que je veux vraiment faire dehors avec le!!!!! ...
www.fansofjamie.com/french/jamie/ interviews/aol122397.html - 22k


GILLES MEUNIER
France
Local time: 13:16
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 75574

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Geneviève von Levetzow
4 mins
agree  Sue Crocker
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +4
timing / un/le sens du timing


Explanation:
There is no exact equivalent to "timing" as in "comic timing" in French, we borrow the English word.

"Timing", in comedy, is a matter of doing or saying the right thing at the appropriate moment.

An example:

X: So ask me what the most important thing in comedy is.
Y: OK. What's the...
X: Timing!


I'd use "avoir un sens du timing" (to have a sense of timing) or something like it whenever possible or at least at the beginning of the text to situate the word and to distinguish it from "timing"'s other possible interpretations in French.


cheungmo
PRO pts in pair: 556
Grading comment
Thanks Cheungmo. You were first to the post with the right term. And thanks to everyone else for your input and explanations.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Gayle Wallimann
49 mins
agree  Richard Genest
3 hrs
agree  Daniel Bichis
23 hrs
agree  Jean-Luc Dumont
2 days 3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Drôle de timing!


Explanation:
voulant dire quel adon!

Vamoura
Canada
Local time: 07:16
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 279
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Gag téléphoné...


Explanation:
Could be that too! I mean very well known (and a bit worn out pun for instance) gag that comes exactly when it was expected...

Pierre POUSSIN
France
Local time: 13:16
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 1497
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
sense de la chute


Explanation:
Avoir le sense de la chute.

chute = Litt. Pensée, formule brillante qui termine un texte.

Hachette Online

Simon Charass
Canada
Local time: 07:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 157

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Francis MARC
1 day 7 hrs
  -> Merci.
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1 day 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
savoir placer un gag au bon moment


Explanation:
gag = effet comique
(le petit Robert)

lien
Netherlands
Local time: 13:16
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 384
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2 days 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
(avoir le sens) du timing comique


Explanation:
Wasabi est un produit marketing sans âme, une comédie pas drôle, un film d'action sans rythme, bref une vraie catastrophe. Au moins dans Taxi 2, il y avait des voitures, dans Yamakasi des ninja des cités, dans Le Baiser Mortel du Dragon, Jet Li : Wasabi c'est juste rien. Le film souffre d'une absence cruelle de scénario. Luc Besson recycle toujours ses parties de playmobil, mais malheureusement même enfant, il était dépourvu d'imagination : l'intrigue est anémique, les dialogues creux, les personnages caricaturaux et surtout peu exploités.
De plus la mise en scène est totalement impersonnelle. Gérard Krawczyk devrait prendre un stage chez un réalisateur japonais. Les combats sont confus, l'utilisation de la musique est foireuse. Il n'a aucun sens du timing comique et la plupart des gags tombe à plat malgré l'abattage de Michel Muller.

Jean-Luc Dumont
France
Local time: 13:16
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in pair: 2872
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