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
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Poetry & Literature

degoudronne

English translation: tarless, untarred, unsealed, unasphalted

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:degoudronne
English translation:tarless, untarred, unsealed, unasphalted
Entered by: Barbara Cochran, MFA

16:55 May 18, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Description Of New York City Streets
French term or phrase: degoudronne
(Accents On The "e's")

As the protagonist is riding her bicycle over to her friend's apartment:

"Je regarde ces hauteurs de buildings, et un peu la route pour ne pas sombrer dans un enorme trou **degoudronne** dont Manhattan est parseme."

Merci!

femme
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 08:04
tarless, untarred, unsealed, unasphalted
Explanation:
While "pothole" is what is meant, that's not what it says, unless French as she is spoke on the other side of the Atlantic is different. The term for a pothole, even in technical parlance, is "nid de poule".

I don't know Manhattan, but maybe it's a bit like Texas, and things are bigger there than anywhere else, so their potholes are too big to be called potholes ...

Nid de poule. Cavité circulaire créée à la surface de la chaussée par des départs de matériaux. ...
www.ile-de-france.equipement.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_articl...

Seems it's said in Québec too :

Nid-de-poule : Désagrégation localisée du revêtement sur toute son épaisseur formant des trous de forme généralement arrondie, au contour bien défini, ...
ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/page/mtl_chantier_fr/rep_utilitaires/glossaire
Selected response from:

Bourth (X)
Local time: 14:04
Grading comment
Actually went with Robert's "unpatched" potholes," although "untarred" would work OK, too.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +7pothole
swisstell
4 +4tarless, untarred, unsealed, unasphalted
Bourth (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +7
pothole


Explanation:
is the expression

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2007-05-18 16:59:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A pothole (sometimes called kettle and known in parts of the Western United States as a chuckhole) is a type of disruption in the surface of a roadway where ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pothole

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2007-05-18 17:00:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------



Mr Pothole
Asphalt Repair and Maintenance
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC
www.TheMrPothole.com




swisstell
Italy
Local time: 14:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jock
5 mins
  -> thanks, jock
agree  Julie Barber
1 hr
  -> thanks, Julie
agree  MDI-IDM
2 hrs
  -> thanks a lot!
agree  jean-jacques alexandre: absolutely
19 hrs
  -> merci bien
agree  Emma Paulay
1 day 18 hrs
  -> thank you, Emma
agree  Can Altinbay
1 day 21 hrs
  -> thank you, Can!
agree  Carol Gullidge: the st seems rather "over explained"!
2 days 5 hrs
  -> thanks and have a great week!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
dégoudronné
tarless, untarred, unsealed, unasphalted


Explanation:
While "pothole" is what is meant, that's not what it says, unless French as she is spoke on the other side of the Atlantic is different. The term for a pothole, even in technical parlance, is "nid de poule".

I don't know Manhattan, but maybe it's a bit like Texas, and things are bigger there than anywhere else, so their potholes are too big to be called potholes ...

Nid de poule. Cavité circulaire créée à la surface de la chaussée par des départs de matériaux. ...
www.ile-de-france.equipement.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_articl...

Seems it's said in Québec too :

Nid-de-poule : Désagrégation localisée du revêtement sur toute son épaisseur formant des trous de forme généralement arrondie, au contour bien défini, ...
ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/page/mtl_chantier_fr/rep_utilitaires/glossaire


Bourth (X)
Local time: 14:04
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 110
Grading comment
Actually went with Robert's "unpatched" potholes," although "untarred" would work OK, too.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Kim Metzger: Giant potholes are often referred to as craters. http://www.transalt.org/press/media/2003/030422dailynews.htm...
6 mins
agree  Robert Frankling: We often refer to this as "unpatched" potholes.
12 mins
  -> Yes, nice compromise!
agree  danièle davout
1 hr
agree  Jacqui Audouy
3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search