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des veaux/dévots

English translation: What did the lovesick ram say to the object of his affection? : "I'm devoted to Ewe"

08:35 Dec 3, 2013
French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / Joke
French term or phrase: des veaux/dévots
Les vaches ne vont pas à la messe
Et pourtant tous leurs fils sont [devo]

Context: from a film set in the mid-80s, a man coming into the back room of a restaurant and greeting another, who is making out openly with a rather beautiful young man. Pas très catholique !

It may of course be that I have to substitute an entirely different joke, but I thought I'd offer this up as a fun challenge. So far I haven't got further than pies/pious, which isn't exactly great - and time is short-ish...
Victoria Britten
France
Local time: 20:09
English translation:What did the lovesick ram say to the object of his affection? : "I'm devoted to Ewe"
Explanation:
Zapped the dubious joke (you're probably right, Tony) in favour of a twee one which could certainly do with "tweaking", but manages to retain farm animals and devotion with a pun.
Selected response from:

Josephine79
Local time: 20:09
Grading comment
Only a bit of tweaking needed!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +2sheep
Tony M
3 +2flock
B D Finch
3 +2What did the lovesick ram say to the object of his affection? : "I'm devoted to Ewe"
Josephine79
3 +1Deaf men can't hear Mass, but their children are all one of the he(a)rd
Catharine Cellier-Smart
3"a wolf doesn't go to church, sheep do"
Daryo
3calf-olics
Paul Hirsh
3herd/shepherd - the herd mentality
Verginia Ophof


Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
sheep


Explanation:
Why not change it slightly, and say 'cows don't go to mass but sheep do'?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2013-12-03 10:20:18 GMT)
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I'm not really sure, either, just what the idea behind the joke was in the first place — it doesn't seem to have a lot to do with the scenario being described?

Tony M
France
Local time: 20:09
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 348
Notes to answerer
Asker: Blimey, you're quick on the button this morning, Tony! Nice suggestion, too.

Asker: Not too sure either exactly what the point is. This is (more or less) the first time we hear this character; whether it is an echo of a Catholic upbringing wanting to express itself when he sees two men canoodling, or just a not-very-funny joke as a conversation-opener is unfortunately not made clear.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Daryo: where is the parallel with : "ils sont des veaux / ils sont dévots"? Sure, one way of seeing it; I see more here a difference between generations - sons being of a totally different mindset from their mothers’
31 mins
  -> There isn't a direct, literal one — but I like the idea of sheep = stupid people and also = the congregation of a church; similar idea!
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: nice one!
1 hr
  -> Thanks, G2!
agree  Mirella Biagi
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Mirella!
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
"a wolf doesn't go to church, sheep do"


Explanation:
a variation on Tony's idea; this pair is more contrasted.
That seems to be the mentality of these characters, (we're wolves, all other are sheep) but it may not be exactly the indented meaning of this pun.

Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:09
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SerbianSerbian, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 105
Notes to answerer
Asker: Variations on a theme... Thanks!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lorraine Dubuc: Je crois que l'idée sous-entendue est : chacun son choix
2 hrs
  -> I'm not really sure myself what was the intended meaning of the pun; this is just a pure "exercice de style" on Tony’s idea (Raymond Queneau etc...)
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Deaf men can't hear Mass, but their children are all one of the he(a)rd


Explanation:
a suggestion, to play around with

or 'kids' instead of 'children'

Catharine Cellier-Smart
Reunion
Local time: 22:09
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 79
Notes to answerer
Asker: With a rhyme, too - thanks!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lorraine Dubuc: How about sheeps instead of men and kids intead of children?
1 hr
  -> it did briefly cross my mind, but as kids aren't the young of sheep but of goats it seems too far-fetched to me ...
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
calf-olics


Explanation:
sorry bout that

Paul Hirsh
France
Local time: 20:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 32
Notes to answerer
Asker: Get off the stage!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: you wearin' yer roman cufflinks today then?
9 mins
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
flock


Explanation:
I see you're too busy looking after your flock to go to mass.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 20:09
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 136

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yolanda Broad: I like the idea of "flock." It has all kinds of rhyming possibilities.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Victoria
agree  Simon Mac: I also like this and your suggestion sounds good in the context
18 hrs
  -> Thanks Simon
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
herd/shepherd - the herd mentality


Explanation:
of sheep and shepherd (s)
Herd/shepherd

Verginia Ophof
Belize
Local time: 12:09
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 53
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
What did the lovesick ram say to the object of his affection? : "I'm devoted to Ewe"


Explanation:
Zapped the dubious joke (you're probably right, Tony) in favour of a twee one which could certainly do with "tweaking", but manages to retain farm animals and devotion with a pun.

Josephine79
Local time: 20:09
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Only a bit of tweaking needed!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: :-)
2 hrs
agree  Yolanda Broad: Wow!
2 days 7 hrs
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