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Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

Je m'en fous (pas mal!)

English translation:

I don't care (really don't!)

Added to glossary by Sarah Bessioud
Dec 2, 2010 01:20
13 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

Je m'en fous (pas mal!)

Non-PRO French to English Other Slang
I generally know this expression but I'm thrown by the fact that "pas mal" part of it is in bold italics (the first part isn't), is in parenthesis and with exclamation mark. What are they trying to say with this kind of style emphasis?

Background: This is from a web page. On the side, as an insert, it has a poll on current affairs news changed daily which is always phrased as "Do you support something or other?". The answers include Oui/Non; Oui, mais...; Aucune idée; and this.

I would normally translate it as "I couldn't care less", perhaps dropping the "I", but I'm not too sure what to do with that style emphasis - "I couldn't care (less!)" just doesn't look right.

Any ideas?
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 I don't care (really don't!)
4 +8 I couldn't care less/I fdon't give a hoot
3 +1 I SO don't care
4 I don't care at all
3 It´s all the same to me ... there you go!
3 I don't care - whatever
Change log

Dec 2, 2010 09:01: Carol Gullidge changed "Level" from "PRO" to "Non-PRO"

Dec 6, 2010 09:47: Sarah Bessioud Created KOG entry

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (3): Helen Shiner, Rob Grayson, Carol Gullidge

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Discussion

Kiwiland Bear (asker) Dec 6, 2010:
Thanks everyone! Quite a few helpful suggestions but have to pick one. On balance I went with the answer closest to the original structure. But thanks again for all the others too.
Mark Nathan Dec 2, 2010:
Good point from BD Finch Putting something in bold in brackets is sort of self-cancelling.
writeaway Dec 2, 2010:
No one is wrong probably because there is no way to get this wrong. So the choice is really yours-it will depend on the register of the rest.
B D Finch Dec 2, 2010:
Intensifying Parentheses reduce intensity, bold and italic increase intensity. So, as it is likely that the writer didn't realise that and made the (sadly common) error of thinking you can use parentheses as an intensifier, I would drop the parentheses and retain both bold and italic.
Adam Warren Dec 2, 2010:
Intensive "Pas mal" in this expression has an intensive role: "really", "simply", etc.
polyglot45 Dec 2, 2010:
don't care (and how !) perhaps
Werner Maurer Dec 2, 2010:
or how about... ...I so don't give a damn (American English)
jmleger Dec 2, 2010:
I don't care would be international English
lydiar Dec 2, 2010:
In that case I'd just use 'I couldn't care less!' - or some other even simpler version.
Kiwiland Bear (asker) Dec 2, 2010:
I think it's for international version, looks like European edition to me so may even include non-native English speakers there.
lydiar Dec 2, 2010:
lose the parenthesis I'd be tempted to use your words, but lose the brackets. Bit of licence I know, but I think it's going to look pretty awkward otherwise no matter what words you find.
Do you know if this is aimed at UK/US/Antipodean English speakers? That might make a difference.

Proposed translations

+1
7 hrs
Selected

I don't care (really don't!)

Unless I'm mistaken, I think the (pas mal!) is there for emphasis. There are a number of ways that you could put this across, such as I don't care (I really don't) or I couldn't care less (really couldn't!), in which case the parenthesis would still work in the translation.
Peer comment(s):
agree Mark Nathan : accompanied by exaggerated eye rolling and, if you are a teenager, a very deep sigh to suggest unimaginable suffering and frustration.
11 hrs
Thank you Mark
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you. That sounds good and close to source."
2 mins

It´s all the same to me ... there you go!

I would say ...

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Note added at 6 mins (2010-12-02 01:27:14 GMT)
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or: couldn't care less ... way to go!

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Note added at 7 mins (2010-12-02 01:27:43 GMT)
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meant ironically of course

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2010-12-02 01:30:19 GMT)
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a rude version would be "stuff it"

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Note added at 11 mins (2010-12-02 01:31:53 GMT)
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whatever
Something went wrong...
+8
11 mins

I couldn't care less/I fdon't give a hoot

par ex.
Peer comment(s):
agree Jean-Claude Gouin : ou, selon Rhett Butler, 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!' Note à Kiwiland Bear: oubliez le 'bold italics' ...
1 hr
agree swisstell
2 hrs
agree Helen Shiner : I couldn't care less
6 hrs
agree Carol Gullidge : I really couldn't care less
7 hrs
agree EJP
7 hrs
agree B D Finch
8 hrs
agree Colin Rowe : Nor could I
11 hrs
agree Verginia Ophof : ...and what about the rat's ass :) ....?
15 hrs
or a "good God damn" but that would ruffle feathers.
Something went wrong...
7 hrs

I don't care - whatever

I think the US expression "whatever" is pretty well known around the world.
With or without parentheses. Perhaps a dash will do.
Something went wrong...
+1
7 hrs

I SO don't care

capitals or bold

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2010-12-02 21:49:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As a possible answer to a questionnaire, something like "Totally uninterested" might be more appropriate.
Peer comment(s):
neutral B D Finch : For US under 40s only, I believe.
32 mins
agree Yolanda Broad : We older United Statesians are quite accustomed to this expression, too.
10 hrs
Hi Yolanda! Glad to see you are keeping an eye on things.
Something went wrong...
3 days 8 hrs

I don't care at all

"Really I don't care about that, I don't care at all," said Prince Andrew
Something went wrong...
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