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faire péter les watts

Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

machintième

English translation:

umpteenth

Added to glossary by Roberta Beyer
Dec 7, 2011 15:00
12 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term

machintième

French to English Other Slang video game dialog
Hi,

This shows up in dialog for a video game set in New York. I can't figure out what it means. I've included some context, but it's all one character, so it sounds very one-sided. I think he's watching a movie.


Quoi? le type qui s'électrocute la langue c'est le méchant? Mais je croyais que c'était des aliens... hmm.
Hmm… j'ai soif…bah pas le courage de me lever.
Hmm… j'ai décroché.. On en est où?
Hmm… trop de trucs à faire, si peu de temps. *baille*
Noooonnnn! Le salaud, il a tué la vieille!
Ah ouais! Les aventuriers de la machintième dimension, groovy !
Bon, ok, autant faire péter un film.
Y'a quoi dans le lecteur?
Proposed translations (English)
3 +2 umpteenth
4 +3 wotsit
4 something-something
3 twilight zone
3 nth
3 whatsit/so-and-so dimension

Proposed translations

+2
4 mins
Selected

umpteenth

suggestion

"Machin" means "thingummyjig", when you can't remember the name of something (or you don't want to pin it down to something precise)
Peer comment(s):
agree Bourth (X)
36 mins
thank you
agree Terry Richards
1 hr
thank you
neutral Joshua Pepper : I think there is a slight shift in register. For some reason, I get the feeling that the sort of person who would say umpteenth is the sort of person who would wear her hair in a bun.
1 hr
maybe, but it has its place in urbandictionary.com (FWIW!)
neutral Jim Tucker (X) : w/ JP
1 hr
neutral Nikki Scott-Despaigne : Not a bad solution except, as Joshua points out, perhaps a little off register. "enième" would work well for "umpteenth" and this kid has made up the word... hmmm
3 hrs
disagree Hal D'Arpini : "Umpteenth" isn’t synonymous with "thingummyjig" in the sense that it’s used as a substitute for something forgotten. It’s merely used to express an excessive quantity of something definite. “I’ve told you umpteenth times not to hit your sister.”
4 hrs
I don't quite agree with your definition of umpteen and I wasn't suggesting it as a direct word-for-word translation, but more as a transfer - getting a similar idea across
agree Karen Vincent-Jones (X) : Yes, umpteenth dimension- ie there are too many to recall
5 hrs
thank you
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
12 mins

twilight zone

"machintième dimension"......nice one and a little tricky...follow me here.
In france, the tv series Twilight Zone has been translated into " La Quatrième dimension" (litterally the fourth dimension.
means he is referencing to the 4th dimension!!! but says it like he doesnt remember the number of the dimension.....machin(what)tième(indicates the number)....
So now to translate this you could use twilight zone (i see it as the safest bet or "i dont know what dimension" but its less natural.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Hal D'Arpini : Interesting thought, but as everyone, including you, has pointed out, the kid forgot that part of the title. I think that aspect of the ST should be maintained.
4 hrs
neutral LJC (X) : If you're on the right track, how about the 'whatever-it-is zone'? The reference to the Twilight Zone might be more recognisable.
5 hrs
Something went wrong...
+3
48 mins

wotsit

As Catharine and Colin said, it's got a "thingymmyjig" meaning, but I think you need something more slangy to fit with the tone: "the wotsit dimension".
Peer comment(s):
agree Nikki Scott-Despaigne : In fact, the number thing is probably secondary as the kid is searching for a title rather than the specific nth.
3 hrs
Thanks Nikki. Yes, "that dimension, I can't think what it's called", tho' the "nième" bit does also bring in an "nth" element, but not essential to an idiomatic translation (hard to think of a slangy way of saying "nth")
neutral Hal D'Arpini : Would someone really say "the wotsit dimension?" I’ve never really used “wotsit” myself and have always seen it as a substitute for a complete thing rather than just part of a name or title. I’m interested in hearing from those who do use it.
4 hrs
The handy thing about "wotsit" is that it can be used with absolutely anything!
agree Yolanda Broad : I like this one! Right register
7 hrs
Thanks Yolanda!
agree Colin Rowe : This is growing on me as probably the best option suggested.
17 hrs
Thanks Colin - how nice to think of the growing!
Something went wrong...
25 mins

nth

"Machin" in the sense of "whatsit", "thingy", something unspecified.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2011-12-07 16:25:38 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"from the *who-knows-what* dimension" might also do the trick here.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2011-12-07 16:32:27 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

That's strange, I thought I had added a note just now, but it seems to have disappeared.
So, attempt number 2:

"from the *who-knows-what* dimension" might also work here.
Peer comment(s):
agree Ingeborg Gowans (X) : yes, very common use here as well
58 mins
Thanks!
disagree Hal D'Arpini : "Nth" is used to express an unknown ordinal number, not a forgotten one, as in the ST. “Who knows what" is better, but it still has a nuance that’s too specific for this context. The kid just forgot that part of the name, that’s all.
4 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

something-something


Like the other suggestions -- thingymmyjig, wotsit, etc. -- "something-something" is used as as a substitute when you can't remember something. I think it may be just an Americanism, but that would be okay, since the scene takes place in New York.

What makes "something-something" a bit more fitting in this context is that it's normally used as a substitute when only a part of a place name or title can't be remembered. As in the ST, it often serves as a gap-filler, connecting the beginning and the end of a name or title. Examples:

"Oh, what's the name of that movie about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine? 'A something-something in Winter.'"

"I don't recall the name of Clinton's Secretary of State, something-something Albright."

On the other hand, "thingymmyjig" and "wotsit" are normally used as substitutes for things rather than names or titles. Also, a significant distinction is that they are used when someone can't remember the whole name of something, not just a part of it. Examples:

"Hand me that wotsit over there so I can open this bottle of wine."

"He had one of those thingymmyjigs, you know, that you use to read electronic books."

I don't think I’ve ever heard anyone say something like "Oh, what's the name of that movie about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine? 'A wotsit in Winter.'" or "I don't recall the name of Clinton's Secretary of State, thingymmyjig Albright." Just like I’ve never heard anyone say "Hand me that something-something over there so I can open this bottle of wine." or "He had one of those something-somethings, you know, that you use to read electronic books."

So in the ST, “Oh, yeah, “The Advernturers from the Something-Something Dimension” sounds a little more naturual than “Oh, yeah, “The Advernturers from the Wotsit Dimension.” At least to me. :-)
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

whatsit/so-and-so dimension

unspecific/ied dimension
Something went wrong...
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