Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
repond de facon jaune
English translation:
responds with a constrained smile
Added to glossary by
Barbara Cochran, MFA
Jun 30, 2007 16:31
16 yrs ago
French term
United States
Laudable Lady Linguist
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, French to English, English to Spanish, and 3 more.
repond de facon jaune
French to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
Interpersonal Reaction
In a play where George Washington and General Howe, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army (Revolutionary War) have just met and started up a conversation. Howe doesn't realize that it's Washington himself.
Context:
HOWE
Ah oui, pardonnez-moi, Monsieur. Cette revue des canons s'est un peu eternisee...
WASHINGTON
Ah! Votre servante m'a dit les soldats, votre fille les chevaux mais en fin de compte c'etaient...
HOWE
Les canons, oui.
Il a un rire canaille et complice auquel Washington **repond de facon jaune.**
I was wondering if the "jaune" has to do with cowardice, but Washington was never known as being cowardly.
Merci!
femme
Context:
HOWE
Ah oui, pardonnez-moi, Monsieur. Cette revue des canons s'est un peu eternisee...
WASHINGTON
Ah! Votre servante m'a dit les soldats, votre fille les chevaux mais en fin de compte c'etaient...
HOWE
Les canons, oui.
Il a un rire canaille et complice auquel Washington **repond de facon jaune.**
I was wondering if the "jaune" has to do with cowardice, but Washington was never known as being cowardly.
Merci!
femme
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Jul 3, 2007 12:26: Barbara Cochran, MFA Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
14 hrs
jean-jacques alexandre
France
France
Native in French
Works in field
France
never lost in translation
Native in: French
Works in: English to French, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
25
Selected
with a constrained smile
very simply & to keep the sentence short
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Merci."
8 mins
answers with a sickly smile
Termium:
Domaine(s)
– Translation Problems
– Language Problems
Domaine(s)
– Problèmes de traduction
– Problèmes de langue
give a sickly smile Source VERBE
rire jaune Source
OBS – expression idiomatique
Domaine(s)
– Translation Problems
– Language Problems
Domaine(s)
– Problèmes de traduction
– Problèmes de langue
give a sickly smile Source VERBE
rire jaune Source
OBS – expression idiomatique
+2
10 mins
Etienne Muylle Wallace
Spain
Spain
Native in French
Spain
QUICK SERVICE AND PERSONAL CONTROL
Native in: Dutch , French
Works in: French to Catalan, French to Flemish, French to Spanish, and 24 more.
without meaning it
rire jaune: means laughing when you don't want to lauch, but you do it out of politenessso you do not mean what you express
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
NancyLynn
1 min
|
| agree |
Anna Quail
: forced laugh: e.g. Robert & Collins - "il faisait semblant de trouver ça drôle, mais en fait il riait jaune : he pretended he found it funny but in fact he had to force himself to laugh"
4 mins
|
| neutral |
CMJ_Trans (X)
: he gave a forced laugh in return.... but "not meaning it" is only an explanation, not a translation
1 hr
|
44 mins
Katarina Peters
Canada
Canada
Native in English
Specializes in field
Canada
Accuracy and A1 presentation
Native in: Hungarian , English (Variant: US)
Works in: English to Portuguese, Portuguese to English, Hungarian to English, and 13 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
14
responds with a bilious look on his face
bilious or yellow as in bile...the origin of the word jaune
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Note added at 45 mins (2007-06-30 17:16:59 GMT)
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...the word jaune in this context, that is...
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Note added at 45 mins (2007-06-30 17:16:59 GMT)
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...the word jaune in this context, that is...
4 hrs
responds rather forcedly
I agree with the others, and thought this was appropriate in the context
+3
4 hrs
gives back a constrained smile
"Rire jaune" in French means to give a forced, constrained laugh, out of pique or vexation.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lidija Lazic
2 hrs
|
| neutral |
jean-jacques alexandre
: ooops, just noticed your use of "constrained" which is, I think, the best solution
10 hrs
|
| agree |
A Word For I (X)
: How about "returns" instead of "gives back"? - also keeping it short. Love those great alliterations and medical analogies on this page too. This one hits the Bull's eye though I think.
11 hrs
|
| agree |
Hebat-Allah El Ashmawy
14 hrs
|
1 day 2 hrs
to return stiffly/woodenly
a laugh which he returned stiffly
a laugh which he returned woodenly
a laugh which he echoed stiffly/woodenly
a laugh which he returned woodenly
a laugh which he echoed stiffly/woodenly
Discussion