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balai cantonnier

English translation: yard broom

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:balai cantonnier
English translation:yard broom
Entered by: mimi 254

10:40 Oct 9, 2009
French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Agriculture
French term or phrase: balai cantonnier
Sorry, no context.
It is a list of tools :
- griffe piocheuse
- élageur coupe tirante
- balai gazon fil plat
- balai cantonnier

Help please as I don't even know what they look like!
mimi 254
Local time: 04:55
yard broom
Explanation:
The ones I'm familiar with have long bristles, and sometimes a flat, wide head (instead of one like an ordinary household broom), and are suitable for outdoor sweeping jobs like leaves, gravel etc.

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Note added at 4 mins (2009-10-09 10:44:43 GMT)
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A quick Google image search throws up loads of good examples...

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-09 12:06:15 GMT)
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For reference, my Robert + Collins gives 'balai de bouleau' for 'besom' — traditionally made from birch twigs, of course! Have you seen the hideous green plastic artificial ones they now make?!
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 05:55
Grading comment
I very much appreciate your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +6yard broom
Tony M
4besom
B D Finch
Summary of reference entries provided
Found in Termium but good for railway related contexs only
Gad Kohenov
Garden tools
Owen Beith

Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
besom


Explanation:
Here's a picture of a really cheap artificial one:
http://www.laredoute.fr/vente-balai-du-cantonnier.aspx?produ...

And here's one complete with some info on use!
http://www.earthwitchery.com/besom.html


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Note added at 42 mins (2009-10-09 11:22:47 GMT)
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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Besom_broom.jpg

B D Finch
France
Local time: 05:55
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 52
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you very much! I think you got it!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Sadly, a 'besom' is only one type of 'balai cantonnier', and by no means the most common; I think the term would be far too specific, unless there are other clues in the wider context to point to this
28 mins
  -> Yes, you are right. See my agree with your answer. A besom see,s to be a balai à paille or à fibre.
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +6
yard broom


Explanation:
The ones I'm familiar with have long bristles, and sometimes a flat, wide head (instead of one like an ordinary household broom), and are suitable for outdoor sweeping jobs like leaves, gravel etc.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2009-10-09 10:44:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A quick Google image search throws up loads of good examples...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-09 12:06:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For reference, my Robert + Collins gives 'balai de bouleau' for 'besom' — traditionally made from birch twigs, of course! Have you seen the hideous green plastic artificial ones they now make?!

Tony M
France
Local time: 05:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 45
Grading comment
I very much appreciate your help.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Tony!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  B D Finch: You were right: see ref posting.
33 mins
  -> Thanks, Barbara! A besom is certainly one type of broom used by cantonniers, but does have a specific name in FR too.
agree  mohanv: also Road Broom
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Mohan!
agree  Clair Pickworth
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Clair!
agree  Mark Nathan: Witches must have been so disappointed when this sort of broom became standard.
10 hrs
  -> Thanks, Mark! "When shall we three meet again...?"
agree  Owen Beith
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Owen!
agree  Rachel Fell
1 day 23 hrs
  -> Thanks, Rachel!
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Reference comments


1 hr
Reference: Found in Termium but good for railway related contexs only

Reference information:
balai de cantonnier
MASC.
DEF – ... brooms made of stiff durable fibers ... used to keep snow from accumulating between switch points and stocks rails. These brooms are also available with a metal chisel point at the top of the handle for chipping and scraping out the compacted ice and snow. Source, record 1, Definition 1 - switch broom

Gad Kohenov
Israel
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in HebrewHebrew
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12 hrs
Reference: Garden tools

Reference information:
This is quite a good starting point with some very clear pictures -
http://jardinor.wordpress.com/

Owen Beith
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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