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  3. Poetry & Literature

poil corseté

English translation: a tad constricted/constrained

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:un poil corseté
English translation:a tad constricted/constrained
Entered by: Stéphanie Soudais

08:25 May 10, 2010
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2010-05-14 08:54:09 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / article on a circus spectacle (L'atelier du peintre)
French term or phrase: poil corseté
Describing the show, which is staged as a series of tableaux, or paintings:
Dans L'atelier du peintre, la parole a donc droit de cité... et de citer. Quitte à souligner. Quitte à dessiner au sol les flèches dont on se croyait épargné. De cette volonté de signifier naît notre légère frustration. Pas loin d'être celle de l'enfant sauvage enfin tout beau tout frais mais un poil corseté.
janisct
Local time: 23:29
a tad constricted/constrained
Explanation:
or "a bit" if you feel "tad" is too much UK English.
Selected response from:

Evans (X)
Local time: 23:29
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3a tad constricted/constrained
Evans (X)
3 +1but slightly stiff/stilted
Leslie Marcus
3but just that little bit conventional/hidebound
polyglot45
3somewhat limited
Claire Nolan


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
un poil corseté
a tad constricted/constrained


Explanation:
or "a bit" if you feel "tad" is too much UK English.

Evans (X)
Local time: 23:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 48
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Leslie Marcus: You sure are fast! "Tad" sounds good to me (and I'm American).
18 mins
  -> thanks leslie, I do like "tad" here because I think it fits the tone nicely.
agree  B D Finch
24 mins
  -> thanks, B.D.
agree  Alison Sabedoria (X)
1 hr
  -> thanks, Wordeffect
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
but slightly stiff/stilted


Explanation:
to convey the idea of a corset that keeps its wearer stiff, unrelaxed

Leslie Marcus
France
Local time: 00:29
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Catharine Cellier-Smart
4 mins
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
but just that little bit conventional/hidebound


Explanation:
even "prim"

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Note added at 35 mins (2010-05-10 09:00:50 GMT)
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RIGID

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 52
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
somewhat limited


Explanation:
I think they mean that words are insufficient in this circus act; that the art and the circus acts are what convey meaning, but that the written word is limited in getting meaning across.

I might be wrong in my understanding, though.

Claire Nolan
Local time: 18:29
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 23
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