"chauffe-la-couche"

09:39 Oct 10, 2013
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Other

French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Slang / colloquial expression/argot
French term or phrase: "chauffe-la-couche"
Word describing a man who lets himself by "led by the nose" by women.
twintrad


Summary of answers provided
4 +3hen-pecked
Yvonne Gallagher
3 +1stay-at-home husband
Philippa Smith
4cuckold
Catcressie
Summary of reference entries provided
Source
Nikki Scott-Despaigne

Discussion entries: 7





  

Answers


14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
stay-at-home husband


Explanation:
I didn't know this! But found:
"Chauffe-la-couche, tn. The stay-at-home husband of a gad-about wife. "
http://www.archive.org/stream/VocabulaAmatoria/Vocabula_amat...
and
"Homme qui fait l'ouvrage de la femme dans son ménage, homme qui s'occupe de ce qui regarde ordinairement les femmes ; douillet (efféminé) "
http://www.languefrancaise.net/bob/detail.php?id=6100

You could maybe also use "house husband", and introduce "hen-pecked" to get in the idea of him being dominated by his wife: e.g. "hen-pecked house husband".
Seeing as it's referring to someone back in the 20s, these would be better than more modern references ("whipped" etc.).

Philippa Smith
Local time: 17:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: I see you were the first to propose "hen pecked". "House husband" might also work - depending on whether or not this is supposed to be derogatory. Context would help!
1 hr

neutral  writeaway: until/unless asker returns with context, any translation found is a contender.
2 hrs
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32 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
cuckold


Explanation:
http://www.languefrancaise.net/bob/detail.php?id=43521

Catcressie
Local time: 16:55
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  kashew: Interesting: we shall see, if more context comes along.
1 hr

neutral  Jean-Claude Gouin: Cet homme n'est pas nécessairement cocu ...
3 hrs

neutral  Jim Tucker (X): http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/chauffe-la-couche
7 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
hen-pecked


Explanation:
hen-pecked men are shy timid types who allow themselves be bossed around by women

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-10 11:21:26 GMT)
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you could also say "led-by-the-nose", "tied to someone's apron strings", "submissive", "browbeaten", "subjugated", and so on.....but need more context

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-10 11:24:40 GMT)
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"meek", un-assertive, under his wife's thumb, in fear of his wife, i fear of her indoors, ...

So many possibilities!

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-10 11:25:28 GMT)
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i=iN above.

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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-10 11:26:42 GMT)
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or you could just say "compliant" nagged", docile" or "with a domineering wife"...

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 16:55
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin: I'm pretty sure that your suggestion is the best ...
2 hrs
  -> many thanks 1045!

agree  Verginia Ophof
4 hrs
  -> many thanks Virginia!

agree  Helen Shiner
7 hrs
  -> many thanks Helen!
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Reference comments


4 hrs
Reference: Source

Reference information:
Agree with a couple for the suggestions posted already. More context needed to make a decision.


http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/chauffe-la-couche

Pop. Homme, sans grande personnalité, qui se laisse mener par les femmes, et qui, en particulier, vaque aux travaux ménagers :
1. robert. − Ce brave Camille venait voir (...) si tu ne manquais de rien, draps, serviettes, torchons, que sais-je? le comte. − Mais, ce garçon-là, c'est ce qu'on appelait autrefois un chauffe-la-couche. Hermant, M. de Courpière,1907, p. 5.
− [En appos.] :
2. Loti a été fait académicien par le côté chauffe-la-couche de son talent, (...) par ses adorations romanesquement et religieusement bêtes pour les Sarah Bernhardt, les Juliette Adam, ... E. et J. de Goncourt, Journal,1892, p. 322.
Rem. On rencontre en ce sens, ds la docum., la forme chauffe-couches (cf. G. d'Esparbès, La Guerre en sabots, 1914, p. 111).
Étymol. et Hist. 1813 (J.-F. Rolland, Dict. du mauvais lang., p. 35). Composé de la forme verbale chauffe (chauffer*), de la* et de couche*. Fréq. abs. littér. : 3.

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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