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  3. Cinema, Film, TV, Drama

daily duties

French translation: I don't think so

19:34 Apr 10, 2010
English to French translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama
English term or phrase: daily duties
In a laurel and hardy movie (The music box) stan Laurel kicks a nurse who later reports to a policeman, "he kicked me right in the middle of my daily duties". I understand this to be a euphemism for bottom. Does anyone know whether this was a common way of referring to one's bottom in the USA in the 1930s?
Many thanks
Marion Sadoux
China
Local time: 03:06
French translation:I don't think so
Explanation:
AFAIK, "right in the middle of my..." is enough to make the joke work, there is no need for a more literal interpretation.

Do note, however, the potential rhyme between 'daily duties' and 'beauties' (cf today's 'booty') — however, I don't know if this sort of rhyming slang is as common in the States as we are familiar with it in London?

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Note added at 33 mins (2010-04-10 20:07:55 GMT)
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This kind of 'innuendo' play on words is very common in EN, where you start the sentence in a way that everyone thinks they know how it is going to end... and then complete it with something outwardly perfectly innocent.

The classic example of this might be the famous comic song "She went and lost it at the Astor", which is full of similar innuendo...
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 21:06
Grading comment
Many thanks. This was for curiosity rather than translation. I am glad that it is a creative doubel entendre as opposed to a standard euphemism! Quite a delighful movie too.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3I don't think so
Tony M
5double sense
imatahan
2backside / duff / rear / rump
Jonathan MacKerron


Discussion entries: 3





  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
backside / duff / rear / rump


Explanation:
couple of options to get the ball rolling

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
I don't think so


Explanation:
AFAIK, "right in the middle of my..." is enough to make the joke work, there is no need for a more literal interpretation.

Do note, however, the potential rhyme between 'daily duties' and 'beauties' (cf today's 'booty') — however, I don't know if this sort of rhyming slang is as common in the States as we are familiar with it in London?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 33 mins (2010-04-10 20:07:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This kind of 'innuendo' play on words is very common in EN, where you start the sentence in a way that everyone thinks they know how it is going to end... and then complete it with something outwardly perfectly innocent.

The classic example of this might be the famous comic song "She went and lost it at the Astor", which is full of similar innuendo...

Tony M
France
Local time: 21:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 201
Grading comment
Many thanks. This was for curiosity rather than translation. I am glad that it is a creative doubel entendre as opposed to a standard euphemism! Quite a delighful movie too.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Jonathan MacKerron: au contraire, in the movie he does actually kick her in the butt
9 mins
  -> No one said he didn't, Jon... I'm just saying that I don't think one should look for a specific lexical connection between 'daily duties' and 'backside'
agree  Martin Cassell: agreed -- the screenwriter is just selling the audience (and perhaps the censor?) a dummy
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Martin! Yup, I feel sure you're right, remember this was the era of Max Miller in the UK...
agree  Jean-Claude Gouin: I don't think so either. If you want a translation, you may think along the lines of "J'ai reçu un coup de pied en plein milieu de mes travaux quotidiens."
1 hr
  -> Merci J-C ! Bien joué ! ;-)
agree  Jennifer Levey: As a (an ex- ...) rugby player I can but agree with Martin - both the explanation and the suggested translation (en pleine exécution de mes devoirs quotidiens) in the discussion box are excellent.
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, R! I' sure you must have received wuite a few kicks right in the middle of your sporting activities! ;-)
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
double sense


Explanation:
The phrase has the double sense of bottom and the work she was doing at that time.

I don't think we'll get an equivalent in French.

imatahan
Brazil
Local time: 16:06
Works in field
Native speaker of: Portuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Martin Cassell: I don't think the words have a double sense: the whole sentence creates an expectation and then subverts it.
2 mins
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