Comments? Opinions?"Abraracourcix" can alternately be read as 'arbre raccourci,' meaning a cut-tree or tree stump. Whether called 'un arbre raccourci' or 'une souche' in French, a tree-stump is a metaphor for a nincompoop.
Alternative Pun?
Moderator: Jochgem
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invisifan
Alternative Pun?
It recently came up in a discussion elsewhere that there could be an alternative interpretation of "Abraracourcix", but I'd like opinions from anyone "close" to the subject (ie. speaks French).
Well then the name would have to be Arbreracourcix...-
Christine
I had missed that question, Invisifan.
The correct reference is "à bras raccourcis", in the expression "tomber sur quelqu'un à bras raccourcis" ; it is not widely used, and I'm sure many young people here do not know what it means : to hit someone violently, usually used not litterally but to say 'to vituperate', 'to shout at someone'.
I'd translate litterally by "with shortened arms", more correctly "with bent arms" (I'm not sure I use the correct english verb). I thought figured the posture of someone hitting violently ; to me it also refered to repeated blows.
I've just checked to be sure, and I've found twice that it is originally means "with tucked-up sleeves" ('bras' meaning not arm, but 'sleeves' ; another way of saying "without a vest" is "en bras de chemise" i.e. litterally "in shirts' arm")
http://www.expressio.fr/expressions/a-b ... ourcis.php
The great Georges Brassens, who played so well with the words, wrote in his song LA RONDE DES JURONS (juron = swear-words)
in reference to "à bras raccourcis" : "jurer à langue raccourcie"
i.e. to swear "with short tongue"
The correct reference is "à bras raccourcis", in the expression "tomber sur quelqu'un à bras raccourcis" ; it is not widely used, and I'm sure many young people here do not know what it means : to hit someone violently, usually used not litterally but to say 'to vituperate', 'to shout at someone'.
I'd translate litterally by "with shortened arms", more correctly "with bent arms" (I'm not sure I use the correct english verb). I thought figured the posture of someone hitting violently ; to me it also refered to repeated blows.
I've just checked to be sure, and I've found twice that it is originally means "with tucked-up sleeves" ('bras' meaning not arm, but 'sleeves' ; another way of saying "without a vest" is "en bras de chemise" i.e. litterally "in shirts' arm")
http://www.expressio.fr/expressions/a-b ... ourcis.php
The great Georges Brassens, who played so well with the words, wrote in his song LA RONDE DES JURONS (juron = swear-words)
in reference to "à bras raccourcis" : "jurer à langue raccourcie"
i.e. to swear "with short tongue"
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invisifan
The question isn't really what was intended -- rather whether it would (or could) sound like the other (unintended) interpretation to someone who spoke French ... The question actually arose elsewhere btw, I just felt this would be a better place to get some accurate feedbackChristine hat geschrieben:I had missed that question, Invisifan.
The correct reference is "à bras raccourcis", in the expression "tomber sur quelqu'un à bras raccourcis" ;
So "In short sleeves" would be valid as wellI've just checked to be sure, and I've found twice that it is originally means "with tucked-up sleeves" ('bras' meaning not arm, but 'sleeves' ; another way of saying "without a vest" is "en bras de chemise" i.e. litterally "in shirts' arm")
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Christine
Oh, sorry.invisifan hat geschrieben: The question isn't really what was intended -- rather whether it would (or could) sound like the other (unintended) interpretation to someone who spoke French ...
About your intended question, I must confess nothing springs to my mind.
I misunderstood the question probably because the expression is now unusual, and I was feeling like doing some research because I have some spare time.
So, it originally means "In short sleeves", but I'm pretty sure that very few countrymen are aware of that meaning.
Well, I'm surprised to read that. I does not ring a bell to me.invisifan hat geschrieben: "Abraracourcix" can alternately be read as 'arbre raccourci,' meaning a cut-tree or tree stump. Whether called 'un arbre raccourci' or 'une souche' in French, a tree-stump is a metaphor for a nincompoop.
'arbre raccourci' is not an expression per se, it could refer to a freshly trimmed tree. The only vaguely related expressions I can think of is dormir comme une souche = to sleep like a log (It's been a haaaard daaay 's work...). 'Couche' can be used for a dumb person, not 'souche'.
Maybe it could be a regional expression ??
Or a could it have something to do with mechanics ?? I've found the term 'arbre raccouci' in... a forum about cars (tuning ?). 'Arbre' is a technical term, but I have no idea of its english equivalent... A long rod, usually transmitting rotation orders from one point to another by way of dented wheels. Sorry, car mechanics is an alien universe to me.