Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
aller se rhabiller
English translation:
can just button themselves up
French term
aller se rhabiller
Any creative energy out there to help with this one? The context is from a description of a well-known provocative fashion designer so there is a pun, but all ideas are welcome!
Thanks!
Here's the sentence:
L'attitude prévaut sur le vêtement. La sexualité dominante s'affiche et les stéréotypes peuvent aller se rhabiller.
| Les autres n’ont qu’à aller se rhabiller! |
Daryo
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Nov 7, 2012 17:24: writeaway changed "Field" from "Other" to "Marketing" , "Field (specific)" from "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings" to "Textiles / Clothing / Fashion" , "Field (write-in)" from "(none)" to "marketing (con)text"
Nov 7, 2012 18:13: Kate Collyer changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Nov 12, 2012 12:57: B D Finch Created KOG entry
PRO (3): Alistair_, Emma Paulay, Kate Collyer
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Proposed translations
can just button themselves up
| agree |
Emma Paulay
: I'd prefer "can button it".
1 hr
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Thanks Emma. That does have a slightly different meaning.
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| agree |
Daryo
: that would fit with the "fashion industry" context
2 hrs
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Thanks Daryo
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Belize
Near Native Proficiency in Source langua
Native in: English
Works in: Portuguese to English, Dutch to English, French to English
re-think/refresh their wardrobe
Ed Masry: In a law firm you may want to re-think your wardrobe a little.
United Kingdom
DE, FR --> EN tech & biz translations
Native in: English
Works in: German to English, French to English
redress themselves
To redress oneself in English means to correct oneself, hence the need for the reflexive in English to translate this play on words.
| neutral |
Daryo
: not that/yes, look at reference entry
1 min
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any chance of a reason Daryo ?
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don't make the cut
| agree |
Catherine De Crignis
: Seems like the best suggestion to me, surprised no one else thinks so...
3 hrs
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Thanks Catherine.
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go back to the changing room (on the way out)
=>
"stereotypes have been defeated for good"
"Ils (elles) peuvent aller se rhabiller" basically means "they've lost, they should get off the stage / out of the competition arena / vacate the playing field ; go back to the dressing/changing rooms and get back into their everyday cloths (se rhabiller) and go away."
Instead of the plain "have been defeated" you could try some imagery to the same effect, right now my proposal is all I could think of.
| agree |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
: or "can head for the exit", "make their way to door"...
8 mins
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sure many variants are possible "can head for the exit" would be fine here
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| neutral |
Kate Collyer
: This fits very well for a sporting context (though maybe the most idiomatic way of putting it would be "to take an early bath"), but not so well here.
11 mins
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Thanks!
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| neutral |
Timothy Rake
: Actually, I like very much Nikki's suggestion "...head for the exit." Suggest that you post it Nikki!
21 mins
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Me too!
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| agree |
FoundInTrans
: yes this is good, i like it, it's not too clever but it is apt
6 hrs
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translating puns is tricky, rarely perfect.
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| neutral |
Emma Paulay
: You can do whatever you like of course, but I reserve a 5 confidence rate for clear-cut black/white terms.
18 hrs
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confidence 5 is about the meaning; sure many variants are possible, Nikki's "can head for the exit" is shorter and maybe better suited here.
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| disagree |
Salih YILDIRIM
: Longer than original phrase!
24 days
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shorter is not always better - getting the meaning and the register right is the most important, finding something nice and short is just a bonus, not the primary target.
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United Kingdom
elegant, eloquent, accurate translation
Native in: English (Variant: UK)
Works in: French to English, German to English, Dutch to English, and 1 more.
get knotted/stuffed
| Special thanks to you Kate for all your creative ideas. |
| agree |
Emma Paulay
: I like "get stuffed"
1 min
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Thanks Emma!
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| agree |
Daryo
32 mins
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Thanks Daryo!
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| agree |
Rachel Fell
: "can go figure" comes to mind, though am not US
4 hrs
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Thanks Rachel!
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| disagree |
FoundInTrans
: This is too rude compared to the original text with a fabric overtone which is also missed here
5 hrs
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As mentioned below, my interpretation is that this is a euphemism for "aller se faire foutre". Agree to disagree?
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lost the battle
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Note added at 1 hr (2012-11-07 18:13:23 GMT)
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I know that it does drop the fashion imagery for a more violent one ( to keep the S&M idea )
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: English 
Works in: French to English
might as well forget it
Germany
A way with words
Native in: English (Variants: British, UK, US)
Works in: German to English, French to English, English
to get a dressing down
| Love this one, but couldn't use it as it doesn't quite convey the meaning of the French. Am tucking it away for future use! |
rewrite it
Perhaps I'm chickening out of a more creative effort :-p, but I can't think of a suitable way to retain the clothing/defeat imagery of the FR; it's a clever pun in context.
Btw, I don't think it's meant to be overly aggressive or dominatrix, but rather confident and defiant.
My suggestions for the entire extract below.
It's not what you wear, but how you wear it. Sexy, bold and non-conformist.
It's all about your attitude (or: Attitude is everything). Sexy, daring and unconventional.
United States
Meticulous, scrupulous, curious work!
Native in: Turkish (Variant: Standard-İstanbul ) 
Works in: Turkish to English, English to Turkish, French to Turkish, and 1 more.
Go, Get dressed!
| disagree |
Kim Metzger
: In English, that would imply they are naked.
31 mins
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Do you really know some French!!! Check Proz approval to my definition
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Reference comments
Les autres n’ont qu’à aller se rhabiller!
rhabiller /ʁa.bi.je/ transitif 1er groupe (conjugaison)
....
(Sport) En parlant d’une équipe vaincue qui quitte un tournoi et qui va donc reprendre des habits civils, quitter la tenue sportive et, par extension, de façon figurée, perdre, être éliminé.
On a gagné ! Les autres n’ont qu’à aller se rhabiller !
..."
[http://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/rhabiller]
| Daryo, I know what the expression means (as I am sure all the other people who tried to help do too); I was just looking for some creative translations. I see that you don't agree with any of the proposals, but do you have a better one? |
| Thanks for all your insights and input Daryo! |
| neutral |
Kate Collyer
: Is it not just a punny euphemism for "aller se foutre" here? / Oops, yes, thanks for the correction.
35 mins
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you could put it also that way. btw it's "aller se faire foutre"
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Discussion
'get stuffed' is another option which has occured to me.