Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
à la mords-moi-le-noeud
English translation:
bloody stupid/idiotic/nonsensical/rubbish, etc.
Added to glossary by
French Foodie
Aug 7, 2005 17:01
18 yrs ago
3 viewers *
French term
à la mords-moi-le-noeud
May offend
French to English
Other
Slang
expression
I saw this in the French-Polish pair, but alas that doesn't help me much :-)
I checked "may be offensive" because I'm trying to figure out just how strong this expression is. Not in the Petit Robert. I tried googling and found it used mainly in blogs, so...
I understand what the speaker in the passage below is driving at, but I'd like the nuances of it. The speaker also uses "con" later on, so he does not hold back when choosing his words.
"Je me suis retrouvé l’autre jour à Val Thorens et il y avait une pancarte, grande comme ça avec des pistes et à un moment donné il y avait une pancarte qui disait si vous avez le pass jaune, vous devez prendre à gauche parce que si vous prenez à droite, vous ne pourrez plus prendre les remontées mécaniques, etc, une explication à la mords moi le nœud qui était marquée en 3 langues mais pas en japonais ni en chinois, bien entendu, mais en 3 langues, je suis resté devant cette pancarte et je me suis dit mais qu’est-ce que je fais maintenant, je tourne à gauche ou je tourne à droite et je ne comprenais rien, je n’ai toujours rien compris, je trouve ça extraordinaire."
I checked "may be offensive" because I'm trying to figure out just how strong this expression is. Not in the Petit Robert. I tried googling and found it used mainly in blogs, so...
I understand what the speaker in the passage below is driving at, but I'd like the nuances of it. The speaker also uses "con" later on, so he does not hold back when choosing his words.
"Je me suis retrouvé l’autre jour à Val Thorens et il y avait une pancarte, grande comme ça avec des pistes et à un moment donné il y avait une pancarte qui disait si vous avez le pass jaune, vous devez prendre à gauche parce que si vous prenez à droite, vous ne pourrez plus prendre les remontées mécaniques, etc, une explication à la mords moi le nœud qui était marquée en 3 langues mais pas en japonais ni en chinois, bien entendu, mais en 3 langues, je suis resté devant cette pancarte et je me suis dit mais qu’est-ce que je fais maintenant, je tourne à gauche ou je tourne à droite et je ne comprenais rien, je n’ai toujours rien compris, je trouve ça extraordinaire."
Proposed translations
(English)
3 +3 | stupid / idiotic | Flo in London |
5 +3 | Incomprehensible | Estelle Demontrond-Box |
4 +1 | ridiculously inept | Carolingua |
3 -1 | foolishly incompetent | Lillian van den Broeck |
Proposed translations
+3
16 mins
French term (edited):
� la mords-moi-le-noeud
Selected
stupid / idiotic
as in 'une explication à la con'
Both are pretty vulgar, but commonly used by some people...
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Note added at 42 mins (2005-08-07 17:43:47 GMT)
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Yep, \'bloody stupid\' sounds good!
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Note added at 18 hrs 6 mins (2005-08-08 11:07:06 GMT)
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\'what I didn\'t mention is that this is a 71-year-old man talking [...], CEO of a major hotel group\' Shocking!! In this context, I can\'t help thinking that \'mords-moi...\' acquires a much stronger meaning
Both are pretty vulgar, but commonly used by some people...
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Note added at 42 mins (2005-08-07 17:43:47 GMT)
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Yep, \'bloody stupid\' sounds good!
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Note added at 18 hrs 6 mins (2005-08-08 11:07:06 GMT)
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\'what I didn\'t mention is that this is a 71-year-old man talking [...], CEO of a major hotel group\' Shocking!! In this context, I can\'t help thinking that \'mords-moi...\' acquires a much stronger meaning
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Philippe Maillard
: bloody stupid
34 mins
|
Yes, definitely 'bloody stupid' (Sorry Mara, I can't answer your note in the Asker's box)
|
|
agree |
Carolingua
: idiotic, maybe, but I wouldn't use use "bloody" unless this is UK-specific English.
2 hrs
|
OK, thanks
|
|
agree |
PB Trans
: agree with Carolingua
5 hrs
|
Thanks
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Many thanks to all of you. I think most of your suggestions would work. In this case, bloody stupid, or bullshit explanation really works with this particular person's personality. Wish I could split points among you all!"
+3
7 mins
French term (edited):
� la mords-moi-le-noeud
Incomprehensible
It is not so strong an expression as such, though the origin is: it means (literally) "Bite-my-d***", "noeud" being an old slang form for "penis".
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Note added at 27 mins (2005-08-07 17:28:11 GMT)
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I would not say \"ridiculous\" but rather \"nonsensical\"
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Note added at 27 mins (2005-08-07 17:28:11 GMT)
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I would not say \"ridiculous\" but rather \"nonsensical\"
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Nick Lingris
4 mins
|
Thanks Nick!
|
|
agree |
Carolingua
: also "inintelligible" or "unfathomable"
2 hrs
|
Thanks Carolingua!
|
|
agree |
Karim Oualladi
1 day 22 hrs
|
Thanks Ikaruss!
|
-1
1 hr
French term (edited):
� la mords-moi-le-noeud
foolishly incompetent
ñ-
Peer comment(s):
disagree |
df49f (X)
: faux-sens - ni foolish ni incompetent
1 hr
|
+1
28 mins
French term (edited):
� la mords-moi-le-noeud
ridiculously inept
I'm sure there are many possibilities, but from the sense of the paragraph, it is some combination of ridiculous/laughable and completely incomprehensible/ineffective/convoluted. Good luck!
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Note added at 2 hrs 39 mins (2005-08-07 19:40:12 GMT)
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Inept in this context would have the meaning of \"out of place\", \"incongruous\", or \"malapropos\".
In keeping with the slang, you could say that the directions were \"whacked\" or \"totally lame\" (though I like \"whacked\" better, since it conveys how unbelievably crazy it is that these explanations should not explain anything at all...)
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Note added at 23 hrs 18 mins (2005-08-08 16:19:11 GMT)
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Since you specify the speaker is older...another slang expression that might fit is \"bullshit\" (as in, \"a bullshit explanation\").
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Note added at 2 hrs 39 mins (2005-08-07 19:40:12 GMT)
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Inept in this context would have the meaning of \"out of place\", \"incongruous\", or \"malapropos\".
In keeping with the slang, you could say that the directions were \"whacked\" or \"totally lame\" (though I like \"whacked\" better, since it conveys how unbelievably crazy it is that these explanations should not explain anything at all...)
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Note added at 23 hrs 18 mins (2005-08-08 16:19:11 GMT)
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Since you specify the speaker is older...another slang expression that might fit is \"bullshit\" (as in, \"a bullshit explanation\").
Discussion
The audience is not specifically US or UK - "international English".