Author needs help!

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EducatorPermalink Reply by George Hunt on May 20, 2013 at 11:58am

"L'as -tu arrachée de son berceau?" or "Est-ce que tu l'as arrachée de son berceau?" I think.

That would  -be literal there may be  other coloquialisms I wouldn't be familiar with.

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Permalink Reply by Fiona MacAllister on May 20, 2013 at 12:01pm

Thank you so much, George!  that is perfect!

Fiona

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EducatorPermalink Reply by George Hunt on May 20, 2013 at 12:37pm

Not a problem.

We also  have the expression "cradle snatcher" in English - I doubt there would be an exact equivalent in French.

 

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on May 20, 2013 at 12:40pm

is it used when someone has a girlfriend or a boyfriend who is (very) more young ?

if it's that we have

the expression "Prendre au berceau"

and a woman who has a more young boyfriend is called "une cougar"

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EducatorPermalink Reply by George Hunt on May 20, 2013 at 1:12pm

Yes ."Cradle snatcher" applies to men and women alike. and I suppose  emphasises an unusual  difference in ages.

It would be used in a light hearted way normally. For instance  a group of school children might use it  if one of them was seeing  a girl  a  few years younger than him.

 

I think we have the "cougar" expression too  , although it may be more American than British.

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on May 20, 2013 at 1:45pm

oh ok

for a young man who has a younger girlfriend, everybody (every other guys) sees him like a seducer, a Dom Juan, and a lot of other kindly words. (except if she is very young  < 15-16 ).

for a light joke, it's the good expression  "tu l'as prise au berceau ! "

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on May 20, 2013 at 12:32pm

Hello

I think it's an expression, so many questions about the context to be sure I have a good understanding :

first can you confirm the idea that the mother says this phrase because she finds that the girlfriend is more young  than the son or is too young for her son, or is too young.

the second : can you confirm that the mother speaks about the present girlfriend and not about a past girlfriend ?

and third : is it really a question or an exclamation ? you wrote a question, but sometimes a question can be an exclamation. And this sentence in French is more an exclamation.

 

If it's the good idea and a present girlfriend, the translation of this expression in French is

"Tu l'as prise au berceau ! "  (it's an exclamation, but an answer is usual)

"tu l'as prise au berceau ? " (it's like a question, but rather like a speaking form without a good grammar, I don't know the mother and her social status)

"Est-ce que tu l'as prise au berceau ?"  (it's abetter form for a correct question but it's a bit weird in French, it sounds like if the mother doesn't know the girlfriend)

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Permalink Reply by Fiona MacAllister on May 20, 2013 at 10:54pm

Thank you for your help!  The exchange is as follows:  The mother, who is 60, arrives at a restaurant and meets her son, who is 40.  The mother is with a man who looks old and sick, the son is with a very much younger woman.

The mother says (pointing at the girlfriend) "Did you steal her from her cradle?"

The son retorts (pointing at the old man) "Did you steal him from his coffin?"

(this mother and son are not exactly affectionate with each other!)

Fiona

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Permalink Reply by Chantal Savignat on May 20, 2013 at 11:37pm

Oh, the context is important.

"Tu l'as prise au berceau ? " can't be used here, because you won't be able to write the same way for the coffin. Except if it is with a big humor (2nd degree) so he replies "Tu l'as pris au cercueil ? !" but these would more be a joke between 2 peoples who would have complicity, and in your dialog I guess more a caustic conversation.

and it's not really a question, so :

"Did you steal her from her cradle?" = "tu l'as arrachée à son berceau ?"

"Did you steal him from his coffin?" = "tu l'as arraché à son cercueil ?"

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Permalink Reply by Fiona MacAllister on May 21, 2013 at 7:11am

Many thanks!  That is exactly the tone I wanted!  I am very grateful you have thought this out so carefully.  I'll use this in my book.  Much appreciated.

Fiona

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