This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
Miters
Skid row
Aug 7, 2008 17:20
15 yrs ago
English term

pull finger

English to French Other Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
If you’ve got a beef, there’s only one place to settle it…in the Fart Club. Jeff Portnoy, stars in a movie that pulls to punches but many fingers.

I don't have more context to give you. I don't understand what "a movie that pulls no punches but many fingers". "pull punches" ? "Pull fingers". I don't get it !
Proposed translations (French)
3 -1 mais qui déménage
3 +5 qui fait du bruit
4 +3 Explanation
Change log

Aug 7, 2008 21:48: Myriam Dupouy changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

PRO (3): Will Matter, Stéphanie Soudais, Myriam Dupouy

When entering new questions, KudoZ askers are given an opportunity* to classify the difficulty of their questions as 'easy' or 'pro'. If you feel a question marked 'easy' should actually be marked 'pro', and if you have earned more than 20 KudoZ points, you can click the "Vote PRO" button to recommend that change.

How to tell the difference between "easy" and "pro" questions:

An easy question is one that any bilingual person would be able to answer correctly. (Or in the case of monolingual questions, an easy question is one that any native speaker of the language would be able to answer correctly.)

A pro question is anything else... in other words, any question that requires knowledge or skills that are specialized (even slightly).

Another way to think of the difficulty levels is this: an easy question is one that deals with everyday conversation. A pro question is anything else.

When deciding between easy and pro, err on the side of pro. Most questions will be pro.

* Note: non-member askers are not given the option of entering 'pro' questions; the only way for their questions to be classified as 'pro' is for a ProZ.com member or members to re-classify it.

Discussion

Will Matter Aug 7, 2008:
After all, this is very colloquial and idiomatic English and it is not always easy to understand the real meaning(s).
Will Matter Aug 7, 2008:
I hadn't posted my answer before you decided. I was still writing it. I am not trying to create difficulty for you (or anyone else) but, as a NES, I do understand the real meaning of some of the questions you have posted and am only trying to help you.
Alain Chouraki Aug 7, 2008:
Ce n'est pas grave, Julien, de toute façon tu peux éditer le glossaire avec la réponse de SylviA, et même contacter le support pour qu'ils lui attribuent les points. Car sa traduction est excellente.
Julien Lozano (asker) Aug 7, 2008:
D'accord toutes mes excuses.
That's fine Will, I'd hear your explanation if you're still ok. I'm sorry I hadn't checked your answers.
Will Matter Aug 7, 2008:
In my opinion, this question may have been closed too fast. The answer that you selected is wrong, the meaning IS wrong and if you use this answer as the basis for a translation you will convey an incorrect meaning.
Sylvia Rochonnat Aug 7, 2008:
Je trouve que tu fermes les questions un peu vite ! tu devrais attendre de voir toutes les solutions qu'on te propose. Merci.
Julien Lozano (asker) Aug 7, 2008:
Ce sera : "film qui va dépoter sans ménagement".
Merci à tous.
Sylvia Rochonnat Aug 7, 2008:
quelques infos ici :
http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-tropic-thunder-v...
Will Matter Aug 7, 2008:
I understand this completely so if you'd like an explanation, in English, I'd be more than glad to help.
kashew Aug 7, 2008:
I think "pulls no punches (doesn't hold back) AND pulls many fingers" would make your translation easier. Pulls no punches means very direct. Pulling fingers probably means the film is more playful. This is fascinating! How did you translate "beef"?

Proposed translations

-1
8 mins
Selected

mais qui déménage

R & C :
pull one's fingers out :
se décarcasser, ne pas se ménager

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 10 minutes (2008-08-07 17:31:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Un film qui ne ménage pas ses adversaires (ou sans concession), mais qui déménage

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 minutes (2008-08-07 17:32:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Si vous avez des comptes à régler, il n'y a qu'un seul endroit où le faire... le Fart Club.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 minutes (2008-08-07 17:34:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

De l'expression "What's your beef ?" Qu'est-ce que tu as à râler ?
Peer comment(s):
neutral kashew : Could be it! Equivalent to "letting rip" perhaps!
3 mins
Ce qui se traduirait donc en français par ?....
disagree Will Matter : Wrong.
28 mins
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+5
24 mins

qui fait du bruit

Je crois qu'il y a pas mal de jeux de mot graveleux dans cette phrase.

Du genre "tire sur mon doigt" (vous connaissez la suite)

Déjà, "Fart Club", c'est un jeux de mot sur "Fight Club" (voir le lien)

Du coup, j'en conclus qu'on pourrait dire que c'est un film qui fait du bruit... si vous voyez la référence.
Reference:

http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/07/new-tropic-thunder-viral-site-gives.html

Peer comment(s):
agree Vanessa Di Franco : Génial! Par contre j'utiliserai le futur: un film qui va faire du bruit.
5 mins
merci !
agree Alain Chouraki : Oui, Julien, la réponse de SylviA est meilleure que la mienne, & plus documentée
8 mins
merci Alain
agree Will Matter : Better than the other answer. All French-speaking members should read my explanation and, together, arrive at a significantly better answer than the one that was chosen if for no other reason than it is completely incorrect.
11 mins
thx
agree Stéphanie Soudais : ou bien "un film qui pète"
2 hrs
agree Alexia Marmont
2 days 21 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
31 mins

Explanation

I can explain this whole phrase but I'll leave any translation (if necessary) to those who speak French better than I do. This phrase contains two very idiomatic expressions and some cultural information is necessary for a full understanding. The first expression we should deal with is "pulls no punches". When an English speaker refers to a situation where someone or something "pulls no punches" it means that they don't hold back, they are not reserved or hesitant, instead they go "all out" and say or do exactly what they mean. In the case of this movie it means that the movie is completely irreverent, this is not "tongue in cheek" humor or sly humor or subtle humor but humor that is overt, direct and right in your face.
Next, we know from the reference to the Fart Club (in the first line) that farting is involved. The reference to "pulling fingers" refers to a childish trick (often done by young children in the U.S.). The trick is: when the child feels like they might be ready to fart they approach another child, stick out their finger and say "Pull my finger". When (and if) the other child does so, they then fart. Juvenile and immature, I admit but kids are kids all around the world. So, what your phrase really means is "Jeff Portnoy stars in a movie that contains coarse, direct, gross (probably scatological) humor that appeals to a certain type of individual i.e. those who find farting, humor based on farting and jokes about farting to be funny".
Sorry that I cannot translate this into French for you but I can assure you that my explanations are correct so maybe another ProZian can read these remarks and, together, you can arrive at a suitable translation. Bonne chance, ami. HTH.
Note from asker:
Thaks Will, very interesting. I'll take this into account when making my final choice.
Peer comment(s):
agree kashew : Nicely explained, Will. I didn't know the second one! US not GB?
53 mins
Not completely sure about GB (maybe they do) but I know for sure that kids in the US play this joke all the time. Very popular in grade school (until about age 8 or 10, of course).
agree Stéphanie Soudais
2 hrs
Merci beacoup.
agree sporran : I don't know about Canadian children, I spent most of my life in France, but my French son, now a man, still plays it just to annoy me:-)
4 hrs
Thank you. Do Canadian children play this joke? Just curious.
Something went wrong...
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search