Mar 2, 2020 15:57
4 yrs ago
44 viewers *
English term
jam tomorrow
GBK
English to French
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Definition from
Macmillan Dictionary:
Something good that is promised but never happens.
The phrase "jam tomorrow" was coined by Lewis Carroll in his children's story "Through the Looking Glass". The White Queen tells Alice, "The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day."
Example sentences:
An innovation pessimist could dismiss [current innovations being fueled by cheap processing power] as "jam tomorrow". But the idea that technology-led growth must either continue unabated or steadily decline, rather than ebbing and flowing, is at odds with history. (The Economist)
Even though work on the eastern bypass will start very shortly, I am not sure I will truly believe it until I see cars driving up and down it, so talk of a southern link going to Winsford will seem even more like more jam tomorrow. (Winsford and Middlewich Guardian)
In the coming year, many other high-profile tech unicorns will face similar challenges. They’ll will do well to focus on being smaller, profitable companies than larger ones promising jam tomorrow. (Wired)
Proposed translations
(French)
Change log
Feb 28, 2020 20:35: changed "Kudoz queue" from "In queue" to "Public"
Mar 2, 2020 15:57: changed "Stage" from "Preparation" to "Submission"
Mar 6, 2020 15:55: changed "Stage" from "Submission" to "Completion"
Proposed translations
+3
1 hr
Pierre Souchar
France
France
France
Your talent deserves the right words
Native in: French (Variants: Belgian, Standard-France) 
, Spanish (Variants: Venezuelan, US, Standard-Spain, Latin American)
Works in: English to French, Spanish to French, English to Spanish, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
Lendemain qui chante
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Note added at 1 hr (2020-03-02 17:09:53 GMT)
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Cela fonctionne également au pluriel "des lendemains qui chantent".
Definition from
Wiktionary:
Le mythe d’un avenir radieux.
Example sentences:
Nous sommes la jeunesse ardente Qui vient escalader le ciel Dans un cortège fraternel Unissons nos mains frémissantes Sachons protéger notre pain Nous bâtirons un lendemain qui chante. — (Paul Vaillant-Couturier, Jeunesse, 1937) (Jeunesse)
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
+1
1 day 17 hrs
Sandra Mouton
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Efficiency and finesse
Native in: French 
Works in: English to French, Russian to French, Latin to French, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
10
demain on rase gratis
Definition from
own experience or research:
Promesse d'actions avantageuses ou attrayantes, toujours repoussées au lendemain mais jamais réalisées le jour même.
Example sentences:
Le gouvernement refuse la politique du "demain on rase gratis", a affirmé le ministre de l'Action et des Comptes publics Gérald Darmanin... (Lepoint.fr)
1 day 17 hrs
Sandra Mouton
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Efficiency and finesse
Native in: French
Works in: English to French, Russian to French, Latin to French, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
10
promesses de Gascon
Definition from
own experience or research:
Belles promesses jamais réalisées
Example sentences:
Pourtant, Macron s'affiche en président qui ne fait pas de « promesses de Gascon ». (Le Parisien)
20 days
Ce sont des paroles en l'air
Definition from
own experience or research:
Depending on the context, "jam tomorrow" could also refer to "empty words" announcing something that probably won't happen, "des paroles en l'air".
Example sentences:
"Ce doit être un réel engagement et non des paroles en l'air". (Glosbe)
"Vous n'êtes pas obligés de me croire, et puis ce n'est pas de mon ressort... mais je veux prouver que ce ne sont pas des paroles en l'air." (Glosbe)
"Trois ans plus tard, force est de constater que tous ces engagements étaient des paroles en l'air et qu'aucun acte digne de ce nom n'a été posé jusqu'ici." (Glosbe)
24 days
Gladis Audi, DipTrans
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
EN>FR Int Org/Dev/Coop, Legal
Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France)
Works in: English to French, French to English
Des promesses en l'air
Definition from
Dictionnaire des proverbes anglais-fran�:
Le Dictionnaire des proverbes anglais-français, français-anglais de Françoise Bulman propose comme traduction : Ce n'est jamais le bon moment, qui me parait assez idiomatique.<br /><br />Mais le Larousse en propose une meilleure: des promesses en l'air<br /><b><a href="https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/anglais-francais/jam/589973" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/anglais-francais/jam/5...</a></b>
Example sentences:
it's a case of jam tomorrow (UK & informal) ce sont des promesses en l'air (Larousse)
Discussion
"What's the meaning of the phrase 'Jam tomorrow'?
'Jam tomorrow' is some pleasant event in the future, which is never likely to materialize....
'Jam tomorrow' is the shorthand version of the Dodgson's 'jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today'. The phrase caught on quickly and jam tomorrow became a synonym for a 'pie in the sky' promise of good things in the future within a few years of the book's publication."
https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/jam-tomorrow.html
Sinon on peut partir sur "bâtir des châteaux en Espagne" ou "tirer des plans sur la comète".
"Chimérique" peut aussi être une bonne piste.