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zappeur et dé-coordonné

English translation: flitting and inconstant / channel-hopping, inconsistent

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:zappeur et dé-coordonné
English translation:flitting and inconstant / channel-hopping, inconsistent
Entered by: Cath St Clair (X)

03:24 Mar 18, 2009
French to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Philosophy / Consumer society
French term or phrase: zappeur et dé-coordonné
I have lumped these together as I have a feeling I will have to break away from the French completely to express this concept.

Context: A philosophical piece by Gilles Lipovetsky on “hyper-consumer society”.

"De là, le profil de ce consommateur nouveau style décrit si souvent comme erratique, nomade, volatile, imprévisible, fragmenté, dérégulé. Parce qu’il est de plus en plus affranchi des contrôles collectifs à l’ancienne, l’hyperconsommateur s’impose comme un acheteur **zappeur et dé-coordonné**. C’est sur ce fond que le néo-acheteur est devenu un consommateur de marques et non plus de produits."

My working translation is “purchasers without loyalties”:

“Because individuals have increasingly broken away from the old-style collective controls, hyper-consumers are making their mark as purchasers without loyalties.”

Am I adding a meaning that wasn’t in the original? And have I lost something? Any ideas? (I can’t use any of the following adjectives, due to their appearance in the previous sentence: erratic, nomadic, volatile, unpredictable, fragmented, unregulated)
Cath St Clair (X)
Spain
Local time: 14:42
flitting and inconstant
Explanation:
I think this would work.

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Note added at 5 days (2009-03-23 08:32:46 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

You clearly have a very literal-minded proofreader.
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 15:42
Grading comment
Thanks. I liked "flitting" and I used your suggestion. (The fact that my proofreader changed it to "channel-hopping, inconsistent" is another matter ;)
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2flitting and inconstant
B D Finch
4flighty and without loyalty
Jenn Mercer
3unfocused and uncoordinated
Marco Solinas


  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
unfocused and uncoordinated


Explanation:
I am not so sure about the lack of loyalty. After all he buys brands, rather than products

Marco Solinas
Local time: 06:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: "After all he buys brands, rather than products" - good point, thanks

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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
flighty and without loyalty


Explanation:
I think your working translation might be a bit too sedate for "zappeur," but I agree that "without loyalty" would work well for "dé-coordonné."

Jenn Mercer
United States
Local time: 09:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
flitting and inconstant


Explanation:
I think this would work.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 days (2009-03-23 08:32:46 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

You clearly have a very literal-minded proofreader.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 15:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 10
Grading comment
Thanks. I liked "flitting" and I used your suggestion. (The fact that my proofreader changed it to "channel-hopping, inconsistent" is another matter ;)

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  mill2
57 mins
  -> Thanks mill
neutral  Helen Shiner: I like flitting, but wonder whether the reference is to brand loyalty as a concept.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Helen, I thought that "inconstant" could stretch to cover that.
agree  Kevin Pendergast: you're good -- another great answer (in my view)! I also agree with Marco S. that "without loyalty" is off the mark, for the reason he cites.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks for the endorsement Will!
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