Mar 6, 2005 23:53
19 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term
caractère de cochon
French to English
Art/Literary
Other
I know what is meant by this, but am unsure of the strength of the English equivalent, in this case its talking about someone (a woman) of difficult character and contradictory character, un caractère mi-cochon, mi-sainte...
thanks
thanks
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +4 | pig-headed |
sarahl (X)
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| 5 +1 | not for grading |
olganet
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| 3 +3 | half-devil, half-angel |
Louise Gough
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| 4 +2 | foul character |
CMJ_Trans (X)
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| 3 +2 | Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde |
Isabel Hohneck
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| 3 +1 | woman you love to hate |
RHELLER
|
Proposed translations
+4
5 mins
French term (edited):
caract�re de cochon
Selected
pig-headed
should do it.
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Note added at 3 hrs 50 mins (2005-03-07 03:44:01 GMT)
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how about a handful?
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Note added at 3 hrs 50 mins (2005-03-07 03:44:01 GMT)
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how about a handful?
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
swisstell
: I think you've got it!
2 mins
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and proud of it too! :-) thanks!
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| neutral |
Richard Benham
: Does "cochon" suggest obstinacy in French?//Thanks for that, buddy.
23 mins
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caractère de cochon does, cobber.
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| neutral |
Nathalie Andrews (X)
: I was thinking more along the lines of someone who was very difficult to get along with, not sure if pig-headed has quite the same meaning.
1 hr
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| agree |
peekay
: yup
2 hrs
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thanks peekay!
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| agree |
Jean-Claude Gouin
: Absolument ...
4 hrs
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merci !
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| agree |
Michele Fauble
6 hrs
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| agree |
Jocelyne S
: yes, maybe pig-headed but saintly; or pig-headed, yet as saintly as Theresa ?
9 hrs
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| disagree |
Estelle Demontrond-Box
: pig-headed maens obstinate whereas carractère de cochon means bad character
9 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Graded automatically based on peer agreement."
+2
8 mins
Isabel Hohneck
Germany
Germany
Germany
Quality + Precision + Speeeeeeeeeeed
Native in: German
Works in: English, English to German, English to French, and 20 more.
French term (edited):
caract�re de cochon
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
:-D
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Estelle Demontrond-Box
9 hrs
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| agree |
Conor McAuley
: somtimes (behaves like) a stubborn Dr Jekyll, sometimes (like) a placid Ms Hyde - but I think you've got it basically
10 hrs
|
+1
1 hr
olganet
Works in field
French term (edited):
caract�re de cochon
not for grading
I came across the excerpts of the Memoirs of Charle Aznavour. The text in question is about Edith Piaf, and the original text says:
"un caractère mi-cochon mi-sainte Thérèse"
Hopefully somebody will be able to render it in good English :)
1946: la rencontre avec la môme Piaf
Unique. Elle était unique, avec un cœur gros comme le rocher de Gibraltar, un caractère mi-cochon mi-sainte Thérèse, c'était Mademoiselle Contradiction faite femme. Lorsque vous entriez dans son cercle, vous ne pouviez plus en sortir, elle vous ensorcelait, elle faisait sien ce que vous aviez dit la veille, soutenait qu'elle en avait eu l'idée, et, plongeant dans vos yeux son beau regard clair, elle se serait fait tuer plutôt que d'en démordre. Croyant ce qu'elle avait décidé de croire, elle restait accrochée de toute sa petite taille à ses positions, cette tornade de charme, de génie et de mauvaise foi, de défauts et de qualités
A près de 80 ans, sous le titre Le Temps des avants (Flammarion), Charles Aznavour livre ses Mémoires. Ses amis, ses amours, ses «emmerdes»: il n'oublie rien. Et offre à L'Express, en exclusivité, les meilleurs extraits de son livre
http://www.lexpress.fr/mag/arts/dossier/chanson/dossier.asp?...
"un caractère mi-cochon mi-sainte Thérèse"
Hopefully somebody will be able to render it in good English :)
1946: la rencontre avec la môme Piaf
Unique. Elle était unique, avec un cœur gros comme le rocher de Gibraltar, un caractère mi-cochon mi-sainte Thérèse, c'était Mademoiselle Contradiction faite femme. Lorsque vous entriez dans son cercle, vous ne pouviez plus en sortir, elle vous ensorcelait, elle faisait sien ce que vous aviez dit la veille, soutenait qu'elle en avait eu l'idée, et, plongeant dans vos yeux son beau regard clair, elle se serait fait tuer plutôt que d'en démordre. Croyant ce qu'elle avait décidé de croire, elle restait accrochée de toute sa petite taille à ses positions, cette tornade de charme, de génie et de mauvaise foi, de défauts et de qualités
A près de 80 ans, sous le titre Le Temps des avants (Flammarion), Charles Aznavour livre ses Mémoires. Ses amis, ses amours, ses «emmerdes»: il n'oublie rien. Et offre à L'Express, en exclusivité, les meilleurs extraits de son livre
http://www.lexpress.fr/mag/arts/dossier/chanson/dossier.asp?...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
RHELLER
: thanks for the ref - I love his music
1 hr
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Thanks. ...and his voice :)
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+3
4 mins
French term (edited):
caract�re de cochon
half-devil, half-angel
... just an idea!
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Note added at 8 mins (2005-03-07 00:02:01 GMT)
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When researching this I came across this site: http://www.serenapowers.com/starchild.html - and what do you know, the \"half-angel, half-devil\" description is in my own star sign!
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Note added at 11 mins (2005-03-07 00:04:55 GMT)
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Also www.charlottechurchfans.com/photos/mag54.html - Charlotte Church is a self-confessed \"half-devil, half-angel\".
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Note added at 1 hr 26 mins (2005-03-07 01:20:32 GMT)
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Another possibility - she might simply be \"moody\" - i.e. all sweetness and light one minute, and biting your head off the next!
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Note added at 8 mins (2005-03-07 00:02:01 GMT)
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When researching this I came across this site: http://www.serenapowers.com/starchild.html - and what do you know, the \"half-angel, half-devil\" description is in my own star sign!
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 mins (2005-03-07 00:04:55 GMT)
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Also www.charlottechurchfans.com/photos/mag54.html - Charlotte Church is a self-confessed \"half-devil, half-angel\".
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Note added at 1 hr 26 mins (2005-03-07 01:20:32 GMT)
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Another possibility - she might simply be \"moody\" - i.e. all sweetness and light one minute, and biting your head off the next!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
roneill
: I was thinking along the same lines
3 hrs
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Thank you.
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| agree |
RHELLER
: I found half-saint, half-devil
3 hrs
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Thank you.
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| agree |
Estelle Demontrond-Box
9 hrs
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Thank you.
|
+1
3 hrs
French term (edited):
caract�re de cochon
woman you love to hate
I know this is not exactly the phrase but
the woman you love to hate (gives that ambiguity)
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Note added at 3 hrs 21 mins (2005-03-07 03:15:29 GMT)
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other ideas:
she can be sweet as a saint or mean as the devil
sweet as Saint Theresa or
horrible
horrid
wicked
sinful
malicious
nasty
obnoxious
disgusting
ugly (character or nature)
beastly
good
saintly
sweet
good
pleasant
the woman you love to hate (gives that ambiguity)
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs 21 mins (2005-03-07 03:15:29 GMT)
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other ideas:
she can be sweet as a saint or mean as the devil
sweet as Saint Theresa or
horrible
horrid
wicked
sinful
malicious
nasty
obnoxious
disgusting
ugly (character or nature)
beastly
good
saintly
sweet
good
pleasant
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
French Foodie
: "when she was good, she was very very good, and when she was bad she was horrid" ;-)
5 hrs
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merci Mara!
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+2
7 hrs
foul character
or should that be "fowl" ???
She had a foul character, she could be an absolute cow or as nice as pie
To keep it in the farmyard!
She had a foul character, she could be an absolute cow or as nice as pie
To keep it in the farmyard!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
eileengreen
1 hr
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| agree |
Estelle Demontrond-Box
: difficult character yes!
2 hrs
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Discussion
talking of chinese symbols tho, the year of the chicken *this year) is supposed to be bad news, forget global dimming, global warming, terrorists and prepare for avian flu!
"un caract��re mi-cochon mi-sainte Th��r��se"