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au bout de son fil

17:05 Mar 22, 2005
This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer

French to English translations [PRO]
Linguistics / coopery
French term or phrase: au bout de son fil
Hello Prozland,

The contexte of my question lies in a museum display relating the cooper's trade.

The sentence containing the term is:
"Ce baril présenté au bout de son fil avait pour nom « la PIPE à LOISEAU »."

So is it a keg on the end of a piece of string, a worn out barrel, both or maybe neither... à vous de jouer!
Graham macLachlan
Local time: 08:00


Summary of answers provided
5 +3the name of this rope-hung barrel
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
4at the end of its rope
Mozydan
3see link
Sandra C.


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
at the end of its rope


Explanation:
Seems to be a play on words

Mozydan
Local time: 02:00
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench, Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
I think the barrel would have trouble getting annoyed!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Sandra C.: at the end of its rope, as expressions go, would be 'au bout du rouleau', not 'au bout de son fil'
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)
The asker has declined this answer
Comment: I think the barrel would have trouble getting annoyed!

32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
the name of this rope-hung barrel


Explanation:
French uses personal pronouns this way, "its" rope...

we wouldn't see its here in English...

funny, double-barreling it in English as it were means it's part of the thing...

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Note added at 33 mins (2005-03-22 17:38:41 GMT)
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there may be a play on words...rope-hung is a play on words, is it not?

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Note added at 36 mins (2005-03-22 17:41:32 GMT)
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bottomed-out barrel....maybe

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
You ask yourself the same questions that I put in the heading. I asked the client and he doesn't seem to know either! I suppose it'll remain a mystery... For the time being I have omitted any reference to the "fil" in my translation. Thanks for your time.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sandra C.: I think it's rope-hung or something of the like.
1 hr
agree  Assimina Vavoula
12 hrs
agree  Marina Kutsnashvili (X)
15 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)
The asker has declined this answer
Comment: You ask yourself the same questions that I put in the heading. I asked the client and he doesn't seem to know either! I suppose it'll remain a mystery... For the time being I have omitted any reference to the "fil" in my translation. Thanks for your time.

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
see link


Explanation:
a very interesting article that might help you.
quote from that link: "Large wine casks were known as butts and pipes"

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Note added at 2 hrs 2 mins (2005-03-22 19:07:33 GMT)
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something else that might be related to the \'fil\' in question: \"Pour assembler ces cercles, le tonnelier s\'introduira dans le trou qui est au centre de la planche ( 16) et tiendra serré avec les chevilles de bois du pourtour le morceau de chataignier pour le lier, passant le brin d\'osier ou le FIL DE FER dans la rainure faite dans la planche\"

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Note added at 2 hrs 15 mins (2005-03-22 19:21:09 GMT)
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I\'ve been looking for a while; I think that Jane is right: it\'s rope-hung or something of the like.
Good luck!


    Reference: http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/autumn03/cooper.cf...
Sandra C.
France
Local time: 08:00
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
Thanks for the links
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)
The asker has declined this answer
Comment: Thanks for the links



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