To be no Spring chicken
April 25, 2007
When I wrote my entry about Spring, I came across the expression "to be no Spring chicken". I mentally translated it as "ne plus être tout jeune" (to no longer be quite as young as one used to be). However, I knew that there was a better equivalent out there. I was listening to yesterday’s RTL program "On refait le monde" on my way to work this morning (I love podcasts) when one of the journalists said of Bayrou (who came third in the election race) that "ce n’est pas un perdreau de l’année". Literally, it means "he’s not a partridge born this year", and it’s the perfect translation for "to be no Spring chicken"!
Another poultry-based expression which is very real for me at the moment is "cold turkey". I’m having two wisdom teeth taken out this afternoon under general anaesthetic and so I’m not allowed tea or coffee this morning. Or lunch. I’m not happy. Come on, bring a smile back on my face and give me a more inspiring translation than the slightly boring "être en manque" for "to go cold turkey".
Posted by céline, in Idioms, on April 25, 2007Pasar el mono (to pass the monkey)... I guess we don't do poultry here :D
Good luck!
P.
Posted by P. Bayle on April 25, 2007 12:08 PMAnother animal expression! Great, thanks :-)
Posted by céline on April 25, 2007 12:10 PMI don't know if it was intentional or not, but I love the mental-franglais of "ne plus être too jeune."
Posted by srah on April 25, 2007 1:55 PMGrands Dieux ! Je corrige, je corrige, c'est vrai que c'est rigolo mais ça craint un peu. C'est la faute au stress !
Posted by céline on April 25, 2007 6:11 PMDid I just write the earlier comment in French? I thought I was perfectly fine after a surprisingly painless experience, but it looks like I do need some rest...
Posted by céline on April 25, 2007 6:22 PMI've often wondered where the rather strange phrase “go cold turkey” comes from. This is what an entry on IdiomSite tells us: “The phrase describes the skin's reaction to heroin withdrawal. As an addict stops using the drug, blood is drawn toward the internal organs, thereby leaving the skin to resemble a cold, plucked turkey."
Frightening enough to give you “la chair de poule!”
At least you had a general anaesthetic! I had four out in France under local, and when I asked for a general, they looked at me as if I was some sort of coward.
Chicken? Me? Absolutely!
Posted by Amanda on April 27, 2007 8:50 PMAnd they gave me a tuna sandwich and a cake afterwards! Pampered, I was.
Posted by céline on April 30, 2007 9:26 AMPrevious: April 20, 2007
French election: the lexical world of the candidates >>
Next: May 1, 2007
<< Bad, bad translator