translation

Could someone please explain the meaning of the following French phrases

1- qui-vive ; I have seen it in two situations one in which someone calls out: "Qui-vive?" and also in the phrase : "sur le qui-vive"

2 - J’ai une tête de Cendrillon ?

3- Un tout petit peu à poil. As in the sentence : comme ça il ne la verra pas un tout petit peu à poil quand il prendra son petit déjeuner.

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EducatorPermalink Reply by stu harris on August 2, 2010 at 4:14pm

1. This phrase has actually been borrowed into English. Webster has both of the usages you mention -- Qui vive? is a sentry's "Who goes there?" and sur le qui-vive is "on the alert."

2. I'm not sure about that one. Cendrillon is Cinderella.

3. A poil means naked -- literally, "dressed only in body hair." Un tout petit peu à poil seems obviously coy, since you can't be a little bit naked any more than a little bit pregnant. "So then he won't see her semi-nude at breakfast time."

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Permalink Reply by Fereshteh on August 4, 2010 at 8:27pm

Thank you that's very helpful.

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Permalink Reply by Neil Coffey on August 7, 2010 at 7:30am

Re the Cinderella one, I thiiink the intended meaning would be something like "Do I look like Cinderella or something?", i.e. "Do you think I'm your slave?".

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Permalink Reply by Fereshteh on August 7, 2010 at 12:20pm

Thanks Neil. Yes that makes perfect sense in the context of the story it appeared in.

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Permalink Reply by freebird on August 11, 2010 at 8:35am

qui-vive ,it means who or password for soldiers;
J’ai une tête de Cendrillon ,which means that someone's haircut is ordinary,not fashion.
I am not so sure ,welcome for correction .