Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
connaît les fonds de
English translation:
money is tight
Added to glossary by
Yolanda Broad
Apr 18, 2013 03:34
11 yrs ago
French term
connaît les fonds de
French to English
Marketing
Other
I don't know how to classify this, as although it concerns the building trade and energy efficiency I suspect the expression could be used in many different contexts.
"On sait très bien que la RT 2012 va augmenter le prix du mètre carré à la construction, et **on connait aujourd'hui les fonds des français,** et les chaussettes ont des trous."
"On sait très bien que la RT 2012 va augmenter le prix du mètre carré à la construction, et **on connait aujourd'hui les fonds des français,** et les chaussettes ont des trous."
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 | money is tight |
Jane Proctor (X)
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| 5 -1 | knowing (the current state of the French) savings |
papier
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| 4 | we know what is really going on with French people |
MatthewLaSon
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Change log
Apr 23, 2013 20:00: Yolanda Broad changed "Edited KOG entry" from "<a href="/profile/606080">Rimas Balsys's</a> old entry - "connait les fonds de"" to ""money is tight""
Apr 23, 2013 20:01: Yolanda Broad changed "Term asked" from "connait les fonds de" to "connaît les fonds de"
Proposed translations
4 hrs
French term (edited):
connait les fonds de
Selected
money is tight
this is a fairly informal, but fits well next to socks with holes in..
I don't think it's necessary to say the "French.." unless you are differentiating them from other nationalities. It's a favourite French habit, but we don't do that so much, nationality being implied.
I don't think it's necessary to say the "French.." unless you are differentiating them from other nationalities. It's a favourite French habit, but we don't do that so much, nationality being implied.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
SafeTex
: very nice expression but perhaps it would be better for the next phrase no (les chausettes ont des trous).
6 hrs
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I think the following phrase actually re-inforces it! Otherwise, something like "funds are depleted", which is more literal (watch someone post that as an Answ now!!!)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "This was the most useful suggestion, and matched my gut understanding. Could be expressed in many ways, incl 'we know the underlying situation in French', 'we know what the French are like', etc."
-1
46 mins
French term (edited):
connait les fonds de
knowing (the current state of the French) savings
That is my understanding whithout knowing if the sentence is related or not to the description of the market of today.
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Note added at 13 horas (2013-04-18 17:09:08 GMT)
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the French savings account
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Note added at 13 horas (2013-04-18 17:09:08 GMT)
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the French savings account
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
writeaway
: it's not about (the?) French savings. it's about les français (ie French people) and their saving habits......
4 hrs
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Yep, the French savings, the French savings (accounts).
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11 hrs
French term (edited):
connait les fonds de
we know what is really going on with French people
Hello,
It means, imho, to really the "depths" of someone. In other words, the real situation of French people is no secret : they have no money at all, despite how things might look on the surface. And, yes, they don't even have enough money to get replace their socks with holes in them.
You might need a turn of phrase that is a bit more verbose than the "connaît les fonds des Français"
I hope this helps.
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Note added at 11 hrs (2013-04-18 15:26:02 GMT)
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TYPO: to really "know" the depths of someone. Sorry...
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Note added at 6 days (2013-04-24 04:17:37 GMT) Post-grading
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It is no secret that the French have no money when they're socks have holes in them.
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Note added at 6 days (2013-04-24 04:28:01 GMT) Post-grading
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I mean "we're aware that the French don't have much in their wallets, and their socks have holes through them".
It means, imho, to really the "depths" of someone. In other words, the real situation of French people is no secret : they have no money at all, despite how things might look on the surface. And, yes, they don't even have enough money to get replace their socks with holes in them.
You might need a turn of phrase that is a bit more verbose than the "connaît les fonds des Français"
I hope this helps.
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Note added at 11 hrs (2013-04-18 15:26:02 GMT)
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TYPO: to really "know" the depths of someone. Sorry...
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Note added at 6 days (2013-04-24 04:17:37 GMT) Post-grading
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It is no secret that the French have no money when they're socks have holes in them.
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Note added at 6 days (2013-04-24 04:28:01 GMT) Post-grading
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I mean "we're aware that the French don't have much in their wallets, and their socks have holes through them".
Note from asker:
| Don't know what's happened here Matthew, I thought I selected your suggestion, then added a few alternatives of my own (eg, 'we know what the French are like / etc.) |
Discussion
My answer doesn't sound like fluent English? I am a native English speaker. My translation is about as natural-sounding as you can get in English, I'm afraid, even if you don't prefer it.
By the way "we know what the French are like" sounds judgemental, not to say pejorative.