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May 27, 2016 06:57
7 yrs ago
English term

Flaming like a rat on snakes

English to French Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
"Time has really gone by fast to me. The older you get, the faster it goes. It's like flaming like a rat on snakes. It's going."

Comment traduiriez-vous cette expression en français ?

Merci par avance pour votre aide.
Proposed translations (French)
3 +2 Le temps disparaît copmme un éclair/ étoile filante
4 +1 le temps file comme une flèche
3 fond comme neige au soleil/s'étiole comme une peau de chagrin

Discussion

philgoddard May 27, 2016:
If it's nonsense (and I agree that it is), then you should arguably translate it as nonsense. Unless it's a mistake, such as a predictive text error.
Daryo May 27, 2016:
like a rat on skates does make sense, and is used;

"a rat on snakes" is nonsense, unless the "rat" is in fact a mungos, (a snake hunter) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mungos which is extremely unlikely!
Andrew Bramhall May 27, 2016:
@B FELIX C'est bien l'idée!
Bri RUDLOFF May 27, 2016:
Le temps file comme un éclair si je reprends la réponse proposée par Oliver
Virginie Ebongué (asker) May 27, 2016:
@Oliver et Sandra Merci pour vos réponses, je vais demander des éclaircissements au client.
Andrew Bramhall May 27, 2016:
@Virginie Ni l'un, ni l'autre;
Sandra Mouton May 27, 2016:
@Virginie Est-ce qu'il n'y aurait pas une faute de frappe, "rat on snakes" sort zéro Google hits ?
Pour "rat on skates", j'ai trouvé une ou deux références.

Proposed translations

+2
19 mins
Selected

Le temps disparaît copmme un éclair/ étoile filante

Never heard the ' rat on snakes' metaphor before and suspect it is made up, like much of the grammar the speaker uses. A typical and correct way to express it in English would be to say ' time passes like greased lightning', but doubt you could say ' comme un éclair graissé' in French;

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Note added at 24 mins (2016-05-27 07:21:33 GMT)
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Désolé, " comme", pas de 'p';
Peer comment(s):
agree Jonathan MacKerron : Whatever it is, it definitely isn't "flaming like a rat on snakes", unless the author is waxing poetic, but failing miserably at it.
3 hrs
Yes, that's definitely a contender for Pseud's Corner in Private Eye!
agree Daryo : étoile filante
6 hrs
Merci
Something went wrong...
3 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks for your help!"
+1
4 hrs

le temps file comme une flèche

mais pas comme un éclair parce que sa trajectoire est en quelque sorte statique
Peer comment(s):
agree Daryo
2 hrs
Something went wrong...
9 hrs

fond comme neige au soleil/s'étiole comme une peau de chagrin

...

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Note added at 3 jours12 heures (2016-05-30 19:37:37 GMT)
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ou encore ''s'amenuise.... comme peau de chagrin''
Something went wrong...
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