Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Oct 21, 2014 14:32
9 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
Canada
thorough technical translations
Native in: French (Variant: Canadian) 
Works in: English to French, Russian to French
my beef
English to French
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
I'm translating a humourous text for my class about what has to be written on the food packaging in my country. I'm having trouble with ''my beef'' in the following sentence:
My first beef (or chicken or pork) is that the French side of most boxes is also the side that gets ripped to shreds while opening said box.
I know that it means ''my problem'', but if I translate it like that, the humor will be lost and I don't know what to do with chicken and porc. The prof says that we have to find an equivalent in French, but nothing really comes to mind. I would appreciate suggestions. Thank you !
My first beef (or chicken or pork) is that the French side of most boxes is also the side that gets ripped to shreds while opening said box.
I know that it means ''my problem'', but if I translate it like that, the humor will be lost and I don't know what to do with chicken and porc. The prof says that we have to find an equivalent in French, but nothing really comes to mind. I would appreciate suggestions. Thank you !
Proposed translations
(French)
| 1 +5 | mon os |
Alexandre Tissot
|
| 4 +2 | le hic |
Claire Mendes Real
|
| 4 +1 | Ce qui m'agace |
surbeg
|
| 4 | ma grogne |
kashew
|
| 2 +1 | Pepin |
Chakib Roula
|
Change log
Oct 30, 2014 07:48: Alexandre Tissot Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+5
24 mins
Alexandre Tissot
Native in French
Specializes in field
Passionate translator ENG, SP, IT > FR
Native in: French
Works in: English to French, Spanish to French, Italian to French, and 6 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
52
Selected
mon os
Suggestion, then. See the discussion.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Chakib Roula
: Personnellement,je suis tres convaincu par cette traduction.
5 mins
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Merci, Roula.
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| neutral |
AnneMarieG
: d'accord bonne allusion à la viande ; mais comment formulez-vous le début de la phrase... un bel os, en quelque sorte... !
59 mins
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Un bel os à ronger, en effet, Anne-Marie ! Je cherche une solution.
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| agree |
Annie Rigler
3 hrs
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Merci, Annie.
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| agree |
Susana E. Cano Méndez
: J'ai toujours eu un bel os à ronger (ou peut-être une cuisse ou des ailes) avec...
3 hrs
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Merci, Susana.
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| agree |
Marion Feildel (X)
: Mais d'abord il y a un os (de boeuf, de porc ou de poulet), c'est que...
15 hrs
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Merci, Marion.
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| agree |
kashew
: Esp.with Marion's genial idea!
2 days 23 hrs
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Thank you, Kashew. Indeed, I like also her idea.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
31 mins
Chakib Roula
Algeria
Algeria
Native in French
Algeria
Shedding light out of words
Native in: Arabic 
, French
Works in: Arabic to French, Arabic to English, French to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
21
Pepin
Suggestion.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alexandre Tissot
: J'apprécie également votre traduction même si elle s'éloigne un peu du contexte.
2 mins
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Merci Alexandre.
|
+2
1 hr
Claire Mendes Real
Native in French
Works in field
Serious and meeting of deadlines guarant
Native in: French
Works in: English to French, Spanish to French
Related KudoZ points
:
11
le hic
Ce qui me chagrine
Ce qui me pose problème
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Note added at 1 heure (2014-10-21 16:06:32 GMT)
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Il n'y a pas de référence à la nourriture ni aux animaux, effectivement
mais on peut dire "Le hic (ou le couac, ou le trucmuch)...
Ce qui me pose problème
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 heure (2014-10-21 16:06:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Il n'y a pas de référence à la nourriture ni aux animaux, effectivement
mais on peut dire "Le hic (ou le couac, ou le trucmuch)...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
GILLES MEUNIER
1 hr
|
| agree |
Jean-Claude Gouin
: Ce qui m'agace, me chagrine, me pose problème ... MAIS il n'y a plus de jeu de mots avec porc et volaille ...
11 hrs
|
3 hrs
ma grogne
*
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Note added at 3 heures (2014-10-21 17:37:06 GMT)
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mécontentment
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Note added at 3 heures (2014-10-21 17:37:06 GMT)
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mécontentment
Discussion
You want us to do your homework?
I'd be very surprised if "beef (or chicken or pork)" can be done in French. Anyway (or chicken or pork) seems pretty stupid wordplay to me.
I do not know the Englsh equivalent of the following phrase but, let's hope that this translation "ne sera pas une traduction sans queue, ni tête !" :-)
just a thought. And then you could use other seafood names instead of chicken and pork. Like crustacés, moule, crevette...
I definitely agree with you as it was the first idea that came to my mind.
It is indeed totally different but a problem can be "un os" in French or "un lézard" également but I am not sure that "un lézard" can be appropriate here".
It is a suggestion.