https://www.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/general-conversation-greetings-letters/7129541-la-mouche-du-coche.html?phpv_redirected=1&phpv_redirected=2
Apr 24, 2023 20:18
1 yr ago
60 viewers *
French term

La mouche du coche !

French to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Quelqu'un qui s'agite beaucoup sans rendre de réels services ou qui est empressé inutilement ; ardélion ; personne inutile mais persuadée du contraire ; monsieur Je-Sais-Tout
Origine et définition.

Cette expression est en général précédée du verbe 'faire' ou 'jouer

Discussion

Anastasia Kalantzi Apr 27, 2023:
@AllegroTrans Hi and hope you're doing well, all of you, in all respects. I absolutely agree with you, ATrans about this purportedly translator's identity and purposes of asking that sort of questions and expressions so easily for someone to find them in all sorts of dictionaries with some elementary research. The thing is why has he been doing this all this time, and he's is the only one to give us a proper and honest reply if he gets the guts for which I doubt terribly much.
Et enfin de compte, pour tous ceux qui pourraient vraiment s'intéresser de cette expression proverbiale et venue de la morale humaine de Jean de la Fontaine :
Cette fable a donc donné l'expression « la mouche du coche » , l’empressement inutile de la mouche représentant le comportement parfois désagréable de toute personne s’agitant pour apporter son aide mais au final, sans réelle contribution.
https://www.lalanguefrancaise.com/expressions/la-mouche-du-c...
Lara Barnett Apr 27, 2023:
Another question... ... for the compendium, posted this evening (, unrelated):
https://www.proz.com/kudoz/french-to-english/sports-fitness-...
AllegroTrans Apr 25, 2023:
If you look... at this asker's "compendium" of more than 180 questions and answers it doesn't appear to be of much use, i.e. to a real translator. No, there's something else going on here. Fabrice, please can you explain?
Bourth Apr 25, 2023:
Or it's someone compiling a compendium of English translations of French expressions at least cost and thus for greatest profit (this is where we start giving bogus translations ...).
Lara Barnett Apr 25, 2023:
Agree with all.... A free English lesson?
Conor McAuley Apr 25, 2023:
Agree with Chris (AllegroTrans) and writeaway Asker: explain what your project/purpose is, or stop posting.
AllegroTrans Apr 25, 2023:
@ All This question cannot be from a document the Asker is actually translating. It has been lifted from this site: https://www.expressio.fr/expressions/la-mouche-du-coche
It is patently clear that this is not a real translator.
Every single one of his previous questions are either words that can be found in any dictionary or expressions/sayings.
Ask yourselves "why?" and don't waste your time answering.
Stephanie Young Apr 24, 2023:
You may need to change what parts of speech you use to express something similar.
Stephanie Young Apr 24, 2023:
How about "throw one's weight around" or
"to act important"
Lara Barnett Apr 24, 2023:
@ Fabrice59 Could you please give more basis to your context?
Drmanu49 Apr 24, 2023:
There are many ways this can be translated. You really need to give more context.
writeaway Apr 24, 2023:
What has your own research shown so far?

Proposed translations

1 hr
Selected

back-seat driver

One option

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Note added at 1 hr (2023-04-24 21:32:09 GMT)
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Yes, more context would be very helpful.
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Merci !"
10 hrs

useless braggard / meddler

THE COACH AND THE FLY. FABLE BY JEAN DE LA FONTAINE.
Up a long dusty hill, deep sunk in sand,
Six sturdy horses drew a Coach. The band
Of passengers were pushing hard behind:
Women, old men, and monks, all of one mind.
Weary and spent they were, and faint with heat;
Straight on their heads the sunbeams fiercely beat.
In the hot air, just then, came buzzing by,
Thinking to rouse the team, a paltry Fly.
Stings one, and then another; views the scene:
Believing that this ponderous machine
Is by his efforts moved, the pole bestrides;
And now upon the coachman′s nose he rides.
Soon as the wheels begin again to grind
The upward road, and folks to push behind,
He claims the glory; bustles here and there,
Fussy and fast, with all the toil and care
With which a general hurries up his men,
To charge the broken enemy again,
And victory secure. The Fly, perplexed
With all the work, confessed that she was vexed
No one was helping, in that time of need.
The monk his foolish breviary would read:
He chose a pretty time! a woman sang:
Let her and all her foolish songs go hang!
Dame Fly went buzzing restless in their ears,
And with such mockery their journey cheers.
After much toil, the Coach moves on at last:
"Now let us breathe; the worst of it is past,"
The Fly exclaimed; "it is quite smooth, you know;
Come, my good nags, now pay me what you owe."

So, certain people give themselves great airs,
And meddlers mix themselves with one′s affairs;
Try to be useful, worry more and more,
Until, at last, you show the fools the door.
https://e-libr.com/la-fontaine-the-coach-and-the-fly/
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-1
1 hr

the coachman fly

It describes someone who's agitated, enthusiastic and eager but without any real purpose, perhaps useless with a know-it-all attitude.
The reference explains that it's about being more of a hindrance or an obstacle instead of a helper.

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Note added at 1 day 20 hrs (2023-04-26 17:14:40 GMT)
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https://www.linguee.com/french-english/translation/la mouche...


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Note added at 1 day 21 hrs (2023-04-26 17:19:38 GMT)
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https://www.expressio.fr/expressions/la-mouche-du-coche

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Note added at 1 day 21 hrs (2023-04-26 17:22:49 GMT)
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In a traditional French fable the driver was of a coach drawn by six horses. One coach was for poor people only, who he transported most of the time, while the rich ones had their own special carriage.
Example sentence:

Selon la référence, si quelqu'un fait la mouche du coche il se promène avec un air de l'importance de soi. Il fait pour être un obstacle au lieu d'aider.

Peer comment(s):

disagree ormiston : The original Coachman fly is credited to Englishman Tom Bosworth, a nineteenth century fly fisherman and flytier. He was actually a coachman, and drove coaches for three British monarchies.
18 hrs
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Reference comments

1 hr
Reference:

Just for starters, in under 3 seconds on Google

Peer comments on this reference comment:

agree Conor McAuley
58 mins
agree Daryo : https://context.reverso.net/traduction/francais-anglais/la m... https://www.wordreference.com/fren/mouche du coche
2 hrs
agree abe(L)solano
9 hrs
agree David Hayes
10 hrs
agree Jennifer White : what exactly is the purpose of all these questions?
13 hrs
agree Michele Fauble
1 day 14 mins
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