A adopter les yeux fermés

English translation: without so much as a second thought

16:35 Sep 13, 2013

French to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

French term or phrase: A adopter les yeux fermés

This idiomatic expression comes from an article in a fashion magazine. It's talking about some re-designed changing rooms in a clothes store and it says "Le resultat est a adopter les yeux fermés". I'm not sure what this means. Any help much appreciated. Thanks very much!

Sarah Day KudoZ activity Questions: 56 (2 open) (2 without valid answers) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 0
Local time: 10:07

English translation:without so much as a second thought

Explanation:
The actual phrasing in the final version will become clear as and when original context is provided in the form of an extract. This expression is just meaning that you need not hesitate, you need not think twice, you can go ahead without batting an eyelid. Anything along those lines will get you close to the meaning.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2013-09-13 19:50:12 GMT)
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A few sources.

http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/yeux/55646/loc...
"Les yeux fermés, en toute confiance, sans examen."

http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/yeux :
"♦ Aller les yeux fermés. Sans hésitation, comme par automatisme. Si Agathe ne peut pas vous donner cette adresse, me cria un caporal, il faudra que vous alliez la demander à mon lieutenant, qui pourrait y aller les yeux fermés (Janin, Âne mort, 1829, p.141).
♦ (Faire qqc.) les yeux fermés. En toute confiance. Aussi vais-je de ce pas à Melun, où des fermiers que j'y connais m'achèteront les Bordières les yeux fermés (Balzac, U. Mirouët, 1841, p.202)."

http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/les_yeux_fermés

"Les yeux fermés /le.z‿jø fɛʁ.me/
Sans avoir besoin de les ouvrir pour voir où l'on veut aller.
Je connais si bien cette bibliothèque que j'irais y prendre un livre les yeux fermés.
(Figuré) Sans hésitation, comme par automatisme.
Cette voiture est vraiment de bonne qualité, tu peux l’acheter les yeux fermés.
(Figuré) Par cœur, par automatisme.
Il est tellement habitué qu’il pourrait parcourir ce chemin les yeux fermés.
(Figuré) Se dit lorsque, par confiance en quelqu'un ou par déférence, on fait ce qu'il désire, sans vouloir rien examiner après lui.
Je signai cet acte les yeux fermés."

Selected response from:

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 11:07

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +6

without so much as a second thought

Nikki Scott-Despaigne

4 +2

without the slightest hesitation

Jane F

2 +1

They'll be a hit, hands down!

Claire Nolan

it's bound to be a sure-fire winner

MoiraB

the way to go

Noni Gilbert Riley

Two ideas

Wolf Draeger

3 -1

I'll take it (buy it ) sight unseen

Verginia Ophof

4 -3

To adopt eyes closed "

Salih YILDIRIM

Discussion entries: 7

Yvonne Gallagher

Ireland

10:48 Sep 14, 2013

@ Phil
I'd seen this before as well and knew what it meant but have voted it back to Pro since the expression can be translated in so many different ways depending on context (and much easier questions remain as Pro)

Nikki Scott-Despaigne

@Phil

19:44 Sep 13, 2013

I've heard and seen it used often in phrase like "tu peux y aller les yeux fermés". Also used to indicate that a situation is perfectly safe, that a person is trustworthy. It is ordinary familiar language which is sometimes difficult to put into the pro/non-pro category. I had not looked in a dictionary until I came across your post here.
"les yeux fermés" + définition on Google gives a number of useful hits.

@ Asker : PS I don't know if you checked in dictionaries before posting, and come to think of it, you would probably have found it on the wonderful web. ;-)

philgoddard

United States

I don't think this is non-pro.

19:20 Sep 13, 2013

I'd never come across it before, and I had no idea what it meant until people started explaining it.

kashew

France

"Eyes wide shut"

17:29 Sep 13, 2013

Shades of Kubrick

Salih YILDIRIM

United States

accepter sans aucune hésitation

17:11 Sep 13, 2013

This is an alternate meaning in French I can think of now.

Sarah Day

ASKER

17:01 Sep 13, 2013

This is very helpful, Nikki, and makes sense in the context. The expression is in the title of the article, after one sentence just before, saying: "A stroke of brilliance from Gucci, allowing Lapo Elkann, heir of the ultra-sophisticated Agnelli family, to design his ideal changing room". So something like clain suggests above (thanks clain!) would fit very well...

Nikki Scott-Despaigne

16:54 Sep 13, 2013

It means you can go for it without a second thought. A literal translation does not work here. there are lots of possible ways of expressing this one but it will all depend on your original context. Could you post the expression in an extract of the original, including at least the sentence before it and the one after?

Answers

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -3

"A adopter les yeux fermés" To adopt eyes closed "

Explanation:
I'd use!

Salih YILDIRIM
United States
Local time: 05:07
Native speaker of:

Turkish

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Salih. I'm not sure what this actually means though. I'm thinking there must be an idiomatic meaning in French and not just the literal one... Any ideas? Perhaps if you'd be able to explain in a few more words what you understand by the expression then this would help me work out what I'd say in British English. This would be really helpful - thanks

22 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

"A adopter les yeux fermés" They'll be a hit, hands down!

Explanation:
possibility

Claire Nolan
Local time: 05:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 47

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

"A adopter les yeux fermés" without the slightest hesitation

Explanation:
an alternative suggestion

Jane F
France
Local time: 11:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 58

1 hr confidence:

"A adopter les yeux fermés" it's bound to be a sure-fire winner

Explanation:
Think this is the idea. There's licence for a bit more freedom with this kind of text.

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-09-13 18:03:02 GMT)
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or "they're" if it's plural, of course

MoiraB
France
Local time: 11:07
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 28

21 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

les yeux fermés

without so much as a second thought

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 11:07
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 119

4 hrs confidence:

the way to go

Explanation:
Another one which might suit.

Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 11:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

2 days 23 hrs confidence:

Two ideas

Explanation:
Here goes nothing :-)

(1) A sight for sore eyes. Meaning, the new changing rooms look great - and make the people using them look and feel great too. So, both the room and the customer are a "sight for sore eyes".

(2) The fairest of them all. This one is quite broad. First, it implies "Mirror, mirror", which suits a changing room. Second, it could also apply to the changing room and the customer (not to mention Gucci). Third, it piggy-backs on the fairy tales theme, which seems in vogue nowadays.

Good luck!

Wolf Draeger
South Africa
Local time: 11:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 34

11 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

I'll take it (buy it ) sight unseen

Explanation:
another suggestion

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Note added at 3 days6 hrs (2013-09-16 22:37:58 GMT)
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http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/sight unseen

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 03:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 53

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A adopter les yeux fermés

English translation: without so much as a second thought

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