plouf

English translation: turkey, sled

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	plouf
English translation:	turkey, sled
Entered by:	Sheila Wilson

21:50 Dec 21, 2010

French to English translations [PRO]
Science - Meteorology / cumulus clouds / thermals / gliding

French term or phrase: plouf

There's one reference to "plouf" in KudoZ Eng>Fr, here: http://www.proz.com/kudoz/english_to_french/general_conversa...

However, I'm sure "dunking booth" doesn't fit the context here and I can't really see how to treat it as onomatopoeic e.g. splash. It's used three times in a long text about how paragliders can make the best use of the thermals found in and around cumulus clouds.

Here is the context around each usage:

3°) Avec un écart faible et se résorbant en 1000 à 1500m d’élévation:
Il faut beaucoup de soleil pour produire des thermiques mais qui s’étiolent avec l’altitude. Les cumulus ont un développement vertical faible à moyen. La, c’est faiblement instable, attention aux *** ploufs. ***

4°) Avec un écart inexistant ou très faible (se résorbant sur quelques centaines de mètres):
Ce sera juste *** un plouf. ***

....

b) L’iso-thermie est épaisse, au dessus existe un gradient thermique peu favorable à la croissance d’un thermique, et l’ensoleillement est modeste : il est fort probable que cela produise les mêmes effets qu’une situation stable, ou avec inversion. Ca sent *** le plouf *** à plein nez.

Sheila Wilson KudoZ activity Questions: 42 (none open) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 1134 Spain
Local time: 03:35

turkey, land in the turkey patch

Explanation:
But only if you're South African, I think.

• Plouf: nom masc. bruit caracteristique d'aquarissage d'un parapentiste qui préfère se poser dans une rivière, un lac , la mer plutôt que de faire comme tout le monde, un atterrissage sur l'attéro officiel Voir sens homonyme du mot "tas" plus haut, à la rubrique <faire un "tas"> (remarque: comme aurait dit ©Descartes: "toutes les hypothèses se recoupent")
http://desencyclopedie.wikia.com/wiki/Parapente

Un plouf est un vol durant lequel LE PARAPENTE NE FAIT QUE PERDRE DE L'ALTITUDE.
On peut faire un plouf PARCEQU'ON N'A PAS REUSSI A TROUVER/EXPLOITER LES ASCENDANCES ou en LES FUYANT VOLONTAIREMENT pour faire un tranquille vol contemplatif ou des exercices de pilotage. Tout parapentiste débute sa carrière par quelques dizaines de ploufs pour acquérir un niveau de pilotage suffisant pour se frotter aux turbulences associées aux ascendances thermiques.
Dans une masse d'air stable ou en début de journée lorsque la convection thermique n'est pas encore suffisamment en place les vols se résument souvent à des ploufs.
Le plouf s'intègre très bien dans la pratique du vol rando, lorsqu'après une longue montée il est agréable de faire un vol tranquille en contemplant le paysage plutôt que de consacrer de l'énergie à exploiter des ascendances.
http://www.wiki-parapente.fr/wiki/Plouf

I found that the "turkey patch" is the designated landing zone for people that don't find lift, so looked for "turkeying" and found this :

On several flights at Porterville and other sites in Cape Town, I managed to get away where others TURKEYED, topped out higher than the rest, and made transitions I would have thought impossible on my Jumbe.
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2326

However, "turkey patch" and therefore "turkey" as a verb seems to be distinctly South Offrikan:

as a rule, on days that i am dressed in arctic clothing, i usually end up sweating and cursing in the TURKEY PATCH at the bottom
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=71935

If you are a mega competitive racing pilot you get to bomb out in TURKEY PATCH on the first day and ...
www.eternitypress.co.za/freshair/compclass.htm

The possibilities are endless but I in the meantime would just be happy to “foefie” (fly straight down to landing) down to THE TURKEY PATCH [ ... ] The real pilots were waiting for the ‘conditions to be right’. Finally I get the all clear and get airborne without publicly humiliating myself. I fly out and immediately hit some lift which my brother on take off assured me drew a gasp from the crowd who noticing the lift suddenly got eager to get airborne. I floated high above the endless fields of the farmlands, ALL TOO SOON LOSING HEIGHT (unlike those real pilots now circling high above) AND LANDING IN THE TURKEY PATCH. Rather chuffed with my ‘little foefie I returned to takeoff and with conditions getting considerably stronger, my flying was done – time to watch the pros in action
http://www.livecapetown.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Lea...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 45 mins (2010-12-21 22:36:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yes, I realize that first ref. IS in the Désencyclopédie, but I still can't help thinking it's true to at least some extent.

Selected response from:

Bourth (X)
Local time: 04:35

Grading comment

Spot on, Bourth, with "turkey" and "foefie" being used in S.Africa. "Sled" turns out to be the more general jargon verb. Thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

air pocket

jardinero

turkey, land in the turkey patch

Bourth (X)

downdraft

cc in nyc

air pocket

B D Finch

Summary of reference entries provided

plouf

polyglot45

Discussion entries: 10

Sheila Wilson

Spain

ASKER

Post-grading note for information

14:14 Jan 27, 2011

Another jargon verb in this context is to "bomb out" as used in one of Bourth's references

chris collister

France

bombed out

15:19 Dec 24, 2010

OK, it's not the noun required, but a parapentiste friend tells me this is what they would most likely say when lift sagged at the end of an otherwise decent flight. Sometimes the more prosaic "drop out", but I prefer the former.

Sheila Wilson

Spain

ASKER

@ B D Finch

11:10 Dec 23, 2010

equivalent jargon is what I need - like any other sport, paragliders have their own language. I too had the idea of a problem (ie splat) but the client doesn't see it like that. It's just the premature end to the flight, the quick way down - a bit like having to speed home on the motorway when you really wanted to go by the back roads and explore the villages en route.

B D Finch

France

Register

10:43 Dec 23, 2010

I get the impression that the translation required is an equivalent, non-technical expression, which the pilot might use in the pub that evening when describing the day's flying.

B D Finch

France

A big plouf

09:22 Dec 23, 2010

could turn into a splat!

Sheila Wilson

Spain

ASKER

Turkey

08:28 Dec 23, 2010

I'm still investigating this area - maybe it's known to enough paragliders to use

Sheila Wilson

Spain

ASKER

08:25 Dec 23, 2010

He adds that none of my suggestions are right i.e. it's not air pocket, dive, stall, collapse, freefall or sink.
Anyone any other suggestions?

Sheila Wilson

Spain

ASKER

Definition from the client:

08:23 Dec 23, 2010

C'est un terme qui fait partie du jargon des parapentistes. Un parapente évolue principalement vers le bas, car c'est une forme
de parachute. Il ne peut se maintenir en l'air que s'il rencontre et exploite des thermiques ou de l'air ascendant. Si le
parapentiste ne rencontre rien de rien sur son chemin, il descend jusqu'au sol irrémédiablement. On dit alors qu'il fait un
"plouf", ou bien un "tas", ou bien un "plomb" ou bien encore "une flechette". Le vol est dans ce cas rapide, car il simple, en
descente régulière, et ... sans intérêt ! C'est pour cela que l'on dit un "plouf" aussi. C'est comme à la piscine. On se jette à
l'eau, on fait un plouf, c'est vite fini et sans intérêt.

Sheila Wilson

Spain

ASKER

That's it, Bourth

14:36 Dec 22, 2010

I'm sure it's to do with turbulence. The trouble is, the term "air pocket" is very much frowned on nowadays so I can't use it in this sort of text where the reader will be knowledgeable about such things.

Bourth (X)

Your text

22:08 Dec 21, 2010

gives me the impression that here the word has nothing to do with water, but rather the "drop" when the thermal peters out, or contains some kind of turbulence, like when your aeroplane suddenly drops some distance and your stomach hovers around the level of your tonsils for a moment.

Answers

40 mins confidence:

turkey, land in the turkey patch

Bourth (X)
Local time: 04:35
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 10

Grading comment

Spot on, Bourth, with "turkey" and "foefie" being used in S.Africa. "Sled" turns out to be the more general jargon verb. Thanks.

Notes to answerer

Asker: Actually, I found your first ref really useful. A lot of terms from my text are in there correctly, if somewhat weirdly, defined. I think the turkey is actually a red herring, though.:-)

1 hr confidence:

air pocket

Explanation:
"The plane hit an "air pocket" which caused it to drop 300 feet. Nine passengers including one pregnant woman and three crew members suffered ..."
www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread398591/pg1

Though they don't really exist:

"The first type of turbulence is found at high altitudes, often referred to as ‘air pockets’. There is no such thing as an air pocket, it is not physically possible to get a ‘pocket’ of air, but it is a commonly used term that describes the feeling of a sudden drop when flying."
http://www.fearfreeflying.co.uk/why-turbulence-not-usually-d...

B D Finch
France
Local time: 04:35
Native speaker of: English

9 hrs confidence:

air pocket

Explanation:
not usual way in french ,we would better say "trou d'air " than plouf that is used here for the fun and give "life" to the story ,

jardinero
Native speaker of:

French,

French Middle (ca.1400-1600)

1 day 16 hrs confidence:

downdraft

Explanation:
Ah, so the context is paraskiing (not plane gliding).

Still... my answer is entirely prosaic, and without onomatopoeia.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day16 hrs (2010-12-23 14:20:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or perhaps a downwind landing? " Shifting winds can cause a crosswind or downwind landing which have a higher potential for injury due to the wind speed adding to the landing speed." (same Reference)

Example sentence(s):

In conditions of strong winds, and turbulence during hot days the parachutist can be caught in downdrafts close to the ground.

Reference: http://www.reference.com/browse/para-ski

cc in nyc
Local time: 22:35
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Reference comments

8 mins

Reference: plouf

Reference information:
Plouf - WikipédiaPlouf » est une onomatopée reproduisant le bruit émis par un objet tombant ... L'Abord-à-Plouffe désigne une partie du quartier de Chomedey à Laval, Québec. ...
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plouf - En cache - Pages similaires

polyglot45
Native speaker of:

English,

French

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plouf

English translation: turkey, sled

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English translation: turkey, sled

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