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Il me semble très mal en point

English translation: He looks to me like he's in a really bad way

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase: Il me semble très mal en point
English translation:He looks to me like he's in a really bad way
Entered by: B D Finch

18:31 Jan 5, 2019
French to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
French term or phrase: Il me semble très mal en point
J’ai envie de danser avec ton ami Oscar. Il me semble très mal en point et je jure sur la tête de mes ancêtres que ce pauvre malheureux ne mérite pas autant de disgrâce.


Can it be merely " I think he doesn't dance very well on his toes."
or something like "I think he's very ill"?

I'm rather sure it is the ballet reference but wonder if I'm missing something. Isn't "point" sometimes an intensifying particle?
Frank Gerace
United States
Local time: 13:38
He looks to me like he's in a really bad way
Explanation:
https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/mal-en-point/...
En mauvais état de santé, de fortune, de situation : Candidat mal-en-point.
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 19:38
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5He looks to me like he's in a really bad way
B D Finch
3it seems to me as if he's really out of it
Barbara Cochran, MFA


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
He looks to me like he's in a really bad way


Explanation:
https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/mal-en-point/...
En mauvais état de santé, de fortune, de situation : Candidat mal-en-point.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 19:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 136

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Yes, though I wouldn't repeat 'he' twice: "It looks to me..." or "He looks to me to be...", for example
1 min
  -> Thanks Tony. I think that depends upon whether it's meant to be spoken or written language and the speaking or writing style of the character.
agree  Lorraine Valarino: I also agree with Tony's comment.
13 mins
  -> Thanks Lorraine.
agree  Daryo
1 hr
  -> Thanks Daryo
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: Or "It looks like he's in a bad way". Whatever...
20 hrs
  -> Thanks Nikki. As you say: "Whatever ...".
agree  Jennifer White: Yes, there are plenty of web references for this......
20 hrs
  -> Thanks Jennifer
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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
it seems to me as if he's really out of it


Explanation:
Another option, similar to the meaning expressed in B D's response.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 37 mins (2019-01-05 19:08:42 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/out-o...

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 13:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Sounds a bit "clunky", and I think 'out of it' could easily be misconstrued; 'being left out of things' might possibly be what it means, but we don't have enough context to be sure... / LOL!
22 mins
  -> Not "clunky" at all, but how any educated, not merely indoctrinated person would express it./Would not be "misconstrued", given the surrounding context. As the famed literary translator, Edith Grossman has written, context is key.
neutral  B D Finch: In EN-uk that would be understood as high on drugs or very drunk, which might be the correct context here, but it's less general than "in a bad way", which can cover other physical or mental problems too..
16 hrs
  -> Read my link, please. That's not the only thing it can mean. Anyway, I use American, not UK English.
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