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  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French to English
  3. Telecom(munications)

la poste

English translation: offensive???

12:56 Mar 22, 2004
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Telecom(munications) / Postal service
French term or phrase: la poste
la poste
Dipankar Ray
English translation:offensive???
Explanation:
The only context in which I can imagine this word being remotely offensive is in the expression "comme une lettre à la poste" used in reference to anything that is inserted into/extracted or expelled from something with great ease (like a letter going into a mail slot). A woman friend said of giving birth to her first two children that "ça s'est passé comme une lettre à la poste".
Selected response from:

Bourth (X)
Local time: 11:18
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4La Poste
sarahl (X)
3the mail/the post/the post office/
Edith Kelly
1 +2offensive???
Bourth (X)


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the mail/the post/the post office/


Explanation:
and it's NOT English

Edith Kelly
Switzerland
Local time: 11:18
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
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12 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
La Poste


Explanation:
if you mean the company.

sarahl (X)
Local time: 02:18
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 12
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41 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5 peer agreement (net): +2
offensive???


Explanation:
The only context in which I can imagine this word being remotely offensive is in the expression "comme une lettre à la poste" used in reference to anything that is inserted into/extracted or expelled from something with great ease (like a letter going into a mail slot). A woman friend said of giving birth to her first two children that "ça s'est passé comme une lettre à la poste".

Bourth (X)
Local time: 11:18
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 142
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jennifer White: I agree, and can't think why this question was posted in the first place.
49 mins
agree  Jonathan MacKerron: the postal service is indeed offensive; interesting explantion you have there
7 hrs
agree  amritha
16 hrs
disagree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): the lettre a la poste expression is absolutely not offensive
1 day 50 mins
  -> You must have no imagination if you cannot think of a situation where it might be (imagine the cause of my friend's situation - not that it need be in itself offensive, but the event can be expressed offensively).
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