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  3. Poetry & Literature

over-abuse

English translation: over the top

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:over-abuse
English translation:over the top
Entered by: Barbara Cochran, MFA

19:27 Jun 10, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Description Of People At New York City Party
French term or phrase: over-abuse
Description of a man at a party in NYC.

Context: "Un homme habille tout de vert avec des pieds enormes en plastiqe et des ongles verts a une soupiere verte transparente collee sur un casque en polystirene blanc, le tout porte en chapeau. Il a un torse de tortue Nijja Trash Delicatessen, l'ensemble est **over-abuse** (genial).

I thought "over the edge" might work.

Merci!

femme
Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 04:04
over the top
Explanation:
originally a BE usage that I really like - becoming more widespread in AE

"over the edge" I think would mean "insane" - might work, might not.
Selected response from:

Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Grading comment
Merci!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +11over the top
Jim Tucker (X)
5over the top/overdone
Ioanna Karamanou


  

Answers


12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +11
over the top


Explanation:
originally a BE usage that I really like - becoming more widespread in AE

"over the edge" I think would mean "insane" - might work, might not.

Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Grading comment
Merci!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Swatchka
8 mins
  -> thanks Swatchka
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
9 mins
  -> thank you V
agree  katsy
13 mins
  -> thanks K
agree  Carol Gullidge: yes, or OTT
28 mins
agree  Ingeborg Gowans (X)
1 hr
agree  Katarina Peters
3 hrs
agree  Anne Goff
4 hrs
agree  Alison Jeffries-Thierry
5 hrs
agree  sporran
6 hrs
agree  tatyana000
13 hrs
agree  jean-jacques alexandre
14 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
over the top/overdone


Explanation:
The phrase "over the top" (OTT), has come to refer to excess, particularly outrageous behaviour or hyperbole. A person engaging in such activity would be figuratively "going over the top."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_over_the_top

http://www.answers.com/overdone

Ioanna Karamanou
United States
Local time: 04:04
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GreekGreek
PRO pts in category: 4
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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