des miettes sous les pieds

English translation: there will be crumbs everywhere, all over, etc.

20:11 May 22, 2005

French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature

French term or phrase: des miettes sous les pieds

Literarty Translation, from a story called "Un texte Démodé:"

(in context):

"Il n'y aura pas d'air dans son appartment; encore moins dehors. Il faudra s'allonger à plat ventre sur la moquette. On aura des miettes sous les pieds."

There will be crumbs under his feet? Is this a common idiom for a messy apartment? Or maybe a drug reference (the text has a lot of drug references). Maybe it's not an idiom at all, but it seemed odd enough when translated English to warrent a professional opinion.

Thank you!

jfthomas

English translation:there will be crumbs everywhere, all over, etc.

Explanation:
can't see what else it could mean. you're the one with the full context.

Selected response from:

writeaway

Grading comment

Thank you all -- esp. bono -- and traviata's note was the reason I was confused with the phrase -- regardless, you all helped a great deal.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +8

there will be crumbs everywhere, all over, etc.

writeaway

CRUMBS- leftovers

Loubna Benkirane

4 +1

there will be crumbs under his feet

Josephine79

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

5 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

des miettes sour les pieds

there will be crumbs everywhere, all over, etc.

Explanation:
can't see what else it could mean. you're the one with the full context.

writeaway
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 34

Grading comment

Thank you all -- esp. bono -- and traviata's note was the reason I was confused with the phrase -- regardless, you all helped a great deal.

6 mins confidence:

des miettes sour les pieds CRUMBS- leftovers

Explanation:
That is a good proof of a messy-and maybe a drug doers apartment..........

Loubna Benkirane
Local time: 06:15
Native speaker of:

Arabic,

French

8 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

des miettes sour les pieds there will be crumbs under his feet

Explanation:
I really think it's that simple - he's a slob and it's a crummy (sorry for the pun) flat
even "underfoot" sounds a bit too posh for the context
of course there's the problem in English of just under whose feet the crumbs will be - you'll have to decide that in the wider context whether it's his or a generic "your"

Josephine79
Local time: 06:15
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

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