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punaise rouge

English translation: red flag

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:punaise rouge
English translation:red flag
Entered by: Yolanda Broad

16:40 Jan 19, 2003
French to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial
French term or phrase: punaise rouge
No, not a red drawing pin or some kind of bug!!! It really means a loss-making store in this retail group's chain. Here's some context:
"Ces ont des magasins que nous appelons "punaises rouges" puisque après 2 ans d'existence, ils restent déficitaires."
Is there an equivalent expression in English?
Clair Pickworth
France
Local time: 13:34
Mon commentaire
Explanation:
a la reponse d cjohnstone s'est evanoui dans l'espace virtuel. Ce que je voulais dire, c'est qu'il doit avoir des punaises sur une carte du pays aux emplacements des magasins et avec differentes couleurs pour les chiffres d'affaire.
Selected response from:

lien
Netherlands
Local time: 13:34
Grading comment
Thanks for your help - red flags it is !
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +2Mon commentaire
lien
4 +2red sores (or red bugs)
cjohnstone
4 +1red tide
Marian Greenfield
1losers / sore thumbs
RHELLER


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
red sores (or red bugs)


Explanation:
red sores might do, c'est à dire les "nuls" (les plaies ouvertes de la boîte)...j'avoue que loa langue de votre client est un régal...bon courage et pour une fois je ne vous jetterai pas la pierres'il y a une rafale de questions comme je les appelle, car avec un français pareil on a vraiment besoin d'un coup de main!!!

cjohnstone
France
Local time: 13:34
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1632

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  lien: Je crois qu
35 mins
agree  Gayle Wallimann
1 hr
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
red tide


Explanation:
they're referring to the flow of red ink... deficits.

the best analogy I can think of in English is <red tide>... What they're saying is these stores are bleeding cash and in English we might say they need to stem to the tide (or flow) of red ink.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-19 17:24:32 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

sea of red ink might also work.

Marian Greenfield
Local time: 07:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1518

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Louise Dupont (X)
2 mins
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
losers / sore thumbs


Explanation:
what comes to mind

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-01-19 17:06:38 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I realize sore thumb is not the correct definition but they do \"stick out\"!

a more general idea could be \"red negatives\"

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 05:34
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 1582
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46 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Mon commentaire


Explanation:
a la reponse d cjohnstone s'est evanoui dans l'espace virtuel. Ce que je voulais dire, c'est qu'il doit avoir des punaises sur une carte du pays aux emplacements des magasins et avec differentes couleurs pour les chiffres d'affaire.

lien
Netherlands
Local time: 13:34
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in pair: 80
Grading comment
Thanks for your help - red flags it is !

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  cjohnstone: ça c'est malin, alors red flags ?
12 mins
  -> oui! c'est ca.
agree  Gayle Wallimann: Red flags sounds good to me too.
57 mins
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