Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
a few bricks short of a dozen
French translation:
il lui manque quelques cases
Added to glossary by
Tom C
Dec 20, 2012 09:06
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
a few bricks short of a dozen
English to French
Other
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings
History, British Aristocracy
Context : Moriarty is an American actor in 1875. He fell in love with the Earl of Grafton's daughter. Said Earl is happy of this.
"Moriarty would always be grateful that the Earl of Grafton was a few bricks short of a dozen."
I understand the sentence, of course, but not the expression. It's really super rare that I don't manage to find info about an expression or English sentence, but here I'm stuck. I'm wondering if it has something to do with aristocratic matters...
"Moriarty would always be grateful that the Earl of Grafton was a few bricks short of a dozen."
I understand the sentence, of course, but not the expression. It's really super rare that I don't manage to find info about an expression or English sentence, but here I'm stuck. I'm wondering if it has something to do with aristocratic matters...
Proposed translations
(French)
| 4 +5 | il lui manque quelques cases |
FX Fraipont (X)
|
| 3 | n'a pas inventé l'eau chaude |
polyglot45
|
| 3 | un peu simplet |
Daryo
|
References
| a few bricks short ... |
Daryo
|
Change log
Dec 24, 2012 00:24: Tony M changed "Field" from "Art/Literary" to "Other" , "Field (specific)" from "Poetry & Literature" to "Idioms / Maxims / Sayings"
Proposed translations
+5
8 mins
Selected
il lui manque quelques cases
Insultes nettiquement incorrectes
http://www.courtois.cc/humour/insultes.html - Translate this page
Il lui manque quelques cases. Si la connerie était cotée en bourse, il serait incarcéré pour délit d'initié. Sa mère l'a démoulé trop chaud. Il n'a pas la lumière à ..."
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Note added at 9 mins (2012-12-20 09:16:05 GMT)
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"theknottyknitters: Laura-isms
http://www.theknottyknitters.com/2011/11/laura-isms.html
For those of you who know my mom-Laura the phrase "Laura-isms" ... she spouts off "Man that stupid driver is a few bricks short of a dozen!" ..."
http://www.courtois.cc/humour/insultes.html - Translate this page
Il lui manque quelques cases. Si la connerie était cotée en bourse, il serait incarcéré pour délit d'initié. Sa mère l'a démoulé trop chaud. Il n'a pas la lumière à ..."
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Note added at 9 mins (2012-12-20 09:16:05 GMT)
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"theknottyknitters: Laura-isms
http://www.theknottyknitters.com/2011/11/laura-isms.html
For those of you who know my mom-Laura the phrase "Laura-isms" ... she spouts off "Man that stupid driver is a few bricks short of a dozen!" ..."
Note from asker:
| Dans le contexte, ça semble beaucoup trop violent, ledit comte est décrit comme quelqu'un d'exubérant et sympathique, mais pas du tout idiot... |
| OK Philippe, mais dans ce cas "il lui manque une (ou quelques) case(s)" ne colle pas. Je retiens plutôt l'idée de chauve-souris dans le beffroi, ou d'araignée dans le plafond ! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Anne R
: oui
0 min
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thanks!
|
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| agree |
AC @ KILTEDf (X)
: Absolutely! :)
31 mins
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thanks!
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| agree |
MSWeston
4 hrs
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merci!
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| agree |
Philippe Etienne
: Ce n'est pas parce qu'on a des chauves-souris dans le beffroi qu'on est nécessairement abruti
5 hrs
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merci!
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| agree |
Tony M
: Yes, the EN too is quite unkind: 'not quite all there'. But this is exactly the equivalent expression in FR.
3 days 15 hrs
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thanks!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks everyone !"
1 hr
polyglot45
Native in English
&
French
Native in: English 
, French
Works in: English to French, French to English, German to French, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
107
n'a pas inventé l'eau chaude
n'a pas inventé le fil à couper le beurre
n'est pas une lumière
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Note added at 6 hrs (2012-12-20 15:11:53 GMT)
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ce sont toutes des expressions qui veulent dire que le type est un abruti
n'est pas une lumière
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Note added at 6 hrs (2012-12-20 15:11:53 GMT)
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ce sont toutes des expressions qui veulent dire que le type est un abruti
Note from asker:
| Une référence ? |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Daryo
: "n'est pas une lumière" - pas mal! "abruti" est un peu trop fort
14 hrs
|
14 hrs
un peu simplet
tout simplement?
"simplet adj simplet, simplette [sɛ̃plɛ, sɛ̃plɛt]
1 personne idiot pas très intelligent
Il est gentil mais un peu simplet.
2 chose basique qui manque de richesse, de profondeur
une théorie plutôt simplette"
[http://fr.thefreedictionary.com/simplet]
"simplet adj simplet, simplette [sɛ̃plɛ, sɛ̃plɛt]
1 personne idiot pas très intelligent
Il est gentil mais un peu simplet.
2 chose basique qui manque de richesse, de profondeur
une théorie plutôt simplette"
[http://fr.thefreedictionary.com/simplet]
Reference comments
10 hrs
Reference:
a few bricks short ...
As my dad and mom were driving me somewhere last week someone was stopping in a yield only lane. As my mom's the driver and sits there by the second getting more and more irritated she spouts off "Man that stupid driver is a few bricks short of a dozen!"
[http://www.theknottyknitters.com/p/laura-isms.html]
[http://www.theknottyknitters.com/p/laura-isms.html]
Discussion
Two prawns short of a barbie
The lift doesn't go all the way to the top floor
The lights are on but there's no-one at home
...
Perhaps quite another connotation than heretofore proferred...
Maybe it's a reference to bricks and mortar - stately home??
Here's a lovely one: Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.