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  3. Poetry & Literature

Petit comique, à matin!

English translation: well aren't you the comedian this morning!

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Petit comique, à matin!
English translation:well aren't you the comedian this morning!
Entered by: NancyLynn

17:42 Nov 1, 2006
French to English translations [PRO]
Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: Petit comique, à matin!
From a Quebec trial transcript:

Maître C: [asks for a certain document]
Maître D: Voulez-vous un exemplaire boudiné?
Maître C: Petit comique, à matin!
Carl Stoll
Argentina
Local time: 01:24
well aren't you funny (the comedian) this morning!
Explanation:
a thousand comedians out of work and we gotta listen to you!
Selected response from:

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 00:24
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5well aren't you funny (the comedian) this morning!
NancyLynn
4 +1Are you trying to be funny?
Raynald Adam (X)
2Did you eat a clown for breakfast?
Sandra Petch
1(your) being funny this morning !
blavatsky


  

Answers


19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
well aren't you funny (the comedian) this morning!


Explanation:
a thousand comedians out of work and we gotta listen to you!

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 00:24
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  TinaA: Comment for asker: In Quebec, "à matin" is very informal for "ce matin"- surprising from a lawyer, though.
1 hr
  -> You think? ;-)
agree  Julie Barber: it's not that surprising if he's being spoken to that way...I'd love to hear the rest....
1 hr
  -> I'm with you there
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X): w/ Tina Quebec French is very definitely "special"...
2 hrs
  -> It's our own!
agree  Gamil Sadek
3 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  Richard Benham: Hello, I like "the comedian", although it strikes me as a bit Pommified, er, sorry, UK English.
7 hrs
  -> Really? Oh well, as someone else said, we're special over here!
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
(your) being funny this morning !


Explanation:
This is a first for me. But someone has to start somewhere.

So, bonvoyage...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2006-11-02 01:03:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

That should have read :-
(you're) being funny this morning !

sorry for the typo

blavatsky
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Did you eat a clown for breakfast?


Explanation:
Not for grading, just for fun!

"French French" has a slangy expression, "tu as bouffé du clown?" that originated with kids in the "cités" as a sarcastic response to someone's attempts at being funny.
Have to say I'm enjoying the batch of "Canadian French" questions we have at the minute!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2006-11-02 10:22:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I'm wondering what "un exemplaire boudiné" is...

Sandra Petch
Local time: 06:24
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Raynald Adam (X): If someone were to "bouffer du clown" here, we would think they went to McDonald's! :-)
10 hrs
  -> Probably the best thing anyone could do with Ronald ;-)
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Are you trying to be funny?


Explanation:
Other possibilities:

Are you trying to be a comedian?
A smart aleck, are you?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2006-11-01 20:37:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To Ingeborg: Vernacular Quebec French is "special" to the extent that the spoken language, at time a literal translation of the English that Quebec is surrounded by - seeps into the written language. Also, the language uses shortcuts, as is the case here: "à matin" is a lazy rendition of "ce matin".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs (2006-11-02 15:44:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To Sandra: "Boudiné" = bound with spiral wire

Raynald Adam (X)
Local time: 00:24
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  NancyLynn: whoops, that's what I get for not refreshing the page after stepping away from my computer... at least we're confirming the idea for the asker!
7 mins
  -> I like your suggestion too. It all depends on what follows, i.e. setting the tone of the exchange.
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