Stew Stansfield Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Wotcher! It is vitally (vitally) important that I find an appropriate expression in French. My French is OK on a grammatical level, but I have little to no idiomatic knowledge, so would really appreciate a little help. I'd like to find an equivalent expression to femme fatale for ducks. (I told you this was important!) It has to be alliterative, and will preferably have a broader or more abstract quality (as opposed to being strictly literal). It doesn't have to be a direct mimicry of 'fatale', but it should have an element of sultry exoticism and/or danger, and allude to all the brilliantly dodgy film-noir tropes. ("Oh, maybe just warble. You do know how to warble, don't you...?") My favourite attempt so far has been cane capiteuse, in the sense of heady or intoxicating. Would that work in the sense I mean? Other options include cane captivante (which I'm not as fond of) and cane cramoisie. The latter's potentially interesting, both being an abstract parallel to the 'scarlet woman' trope and in having a reference to Moony deviance (with all that entails). I'll likely also have a masculine variant of this (canard capiteux, canard cramoisi, etc.) aswell. Or does anyone have any better suggestions? Thanks in advance! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Brooke Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 @lordabdul, help us! 1 Quote Community Ambassador - Jonstown Compendium, Chaosium, Inc. Email: nick.brooke@chaosium.com for community content queries Jonstown Compendium ⧖ Facebook Ф Twitter † old website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manimati Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) cane canaille ! canaille mean mischievous but it can also have sexual undertones. Works also for males: canard canaille Edited June 2, 2020 by Manimati typo 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordabdul Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) @Manimati's suggestion is very good! The best I can come up with so far is: "canette pas nette": "canette" is a small female duck, like the duck equivalent of "girl", and "pas nette" means "shady", in the sense that there's something untrustworthy, mysterious, and possibly dangerous about the person. "volaille racaille": not as good since it's more generic.... "volaille" translates to "fowl" or "poultry" (no real bias for female animals, but the noun itself is female), while "racaille" denotes danger but in a more thug/brawler way. It might be useful as slang for a band of rowdy Humakti or Uroxi, though. "poule fripouille": "poule" is more for the female chicken than for ducks but it could work.... "fripouille" is a sort of cute-ish way of saying "dishonest" or "up to no good", although it also has a bit of a kinky vibe to it. Edited June 2, 2020 by lordabdul 2 Quote Ludovic aka Lordabdul -- read and listen to The God Learners , the Gloranthan podcast, newsletter, & blog ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Stansfield Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) Thank you! I appreciate the help, but I'd also be grateful if anyone could comment on the provided suggestions and their applicability. Edited June 2, 2020 by Stew Stansfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordabdul Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 @7Tigers and @GianniVacca might be able to weigh in, too. 1 Quote Ludovic aka Lordabdul -- read and listen to The God Learners , the Gloranthan podcast, newsletter, & blog ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kloster Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, Stew Stansfield said: I'd like to find an equivalent expression to femme fatale for ducks. The literal equivalent would be 'Cane fatale'. I would use it, as the 'cane' is the female duck. The french sounding is (or seems) correct. 2 hours ago, Manimati said: cane canaille ! This one is good. 2 hours ago, Manimati said: canaille mean mischievous but it can also have sexual undertones. In french, in this case, 'fatale' also has, even if it's primary meaning is 'deadly'. My Lord, I like your 'Poule Fripouille'. It does not correspond to Glorantha ducks, but it sound good enough (at least in french) to use it. Edited June 2, 2020 by Kloster typing mistake 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordabdul Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) 34 minutes ago, Kloster said: My Lord, I like your 'Poule Fripouille'. It does not correspond to Glorantha ducks, but it sound good enough (at least in french) to use it. Thanks! Since ducks are anthropomorphised, it might still work. After all, humans use "chicks" as slang for "women" and/or "girls", and in French we have the same words ("poulette" or "poule" as similarly sexist slang). There's no reason duck slang wouldn't also cross over to other species, although they might be prejudiced against being associated with poultry.... Edited June 2, 2020 by lordabdul Quote Ludovic aka Lordabdul -- read and listen to The God Learners , the Gloranthan podcast, newsletter, & blog ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kloster Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 2 minutes ago, lordabdul said: although they might be prejudiced against being associated with poultry.... Not more (but no less) than my wife when I call her 'ma poule' or 'ma puce' (my flea, she's small, round and jumps everywhere). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joerg Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 If you want alliteration, how about the cane calamiteuse? 1 Quote Telling how it is excessive verbis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Mouser Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 In french, some ducks are also called "sarcelles" (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcelle) I suggest la "sarcelle ensorceleuse" (ensorceleuse=sorceress); or la sinistre sarcelle (sinistre=sinister). La sarcelle fatale, la sarcelle mortelle. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deshkorgos Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 "envoûtante anatide"? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GianniVacca Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 "Cane canaille" is pretty good-- especially if she dances the can-can. 1 1 1 Quote 「天朝大國」，https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/92874/celestial-empire 很有意思: http://celestialempire.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan springfield Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 5 hours ago, Stew Stansfield said: Thank you! I appreciate the help, but I'd also be grateful if anyone could comment on the provided suggestions and their applicability. hello. As you ask Comments on your proposals : Cane capiteuse : usually "capiteux" or "capiteuse" is much more used for things, not for beings. Very often it applies to perfumes/wines. It means with a very strong taste/smell that fill in your sense of taste/smell. Cane cramoisie : in french this adjective means "to become purple" and also "deep red near to purple" in french the lunar crimson bat could eventually have been translated to "chauve souris cramoisie" but "chauve douris pourpre" was really prettier (wow i really wrote that about crimson bat ? ). Cane captivante : "captivante" in french that adjective usually applies to ideas and or exchanges you have with someone. So in french you usually do not express a physical attirance for a man/woman with that adjective but rather an intellectual/smartness one. I hope i m not too hard with those answers ! I find your question very difficult. Maybe but it is a little from slang you ll have : Cane canneuse : in french "caner" is a figurative verb to say "to die" so in this way i think it really matches the "femme fatale" alliteration. But i m not sure everybody knows that verb. Cane capitale : find it weird but choose to share. Capitale is an adjective that means "leading to death sentence" in french. But the problem is that "capitale" is also the main city of a country, paris for france. Cane canon : "canon" is a familiar adjective for a very pretty man/woman. A "canon" is also a "cannon". But it lacks that idea of something really lethal as with "fatale" and also of a really sophisticated woman. I do not find anything else. Do not hesitate ti comment those proposals. Hope you fill find something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lordabdul Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 I see a lot of newbies here... welcome everyone! Who knew ducks were so attractive! 1 Quote Ludovic aka Lordabdul -- read and listen to The God Learners , the Gloranthan podcast, newsletter, & blog ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balakatun Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Good comments all around above. I would give you my favs: - Cane Fatale (it just works and sounds good!) - Cane Canaille (for the alliteration) - Cane Friponne (means 'rascal', 'roguish', sounds a tad outdated in a cute way) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loïc Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 I have a preference for "cane fatale": no aliteration, but it sounds well in french, with film noir sensation, and deadly/sexual double meaning... And also "cane canaille", with aliteration, but less film noir. As said above, "capiteux" is more for taste/smell (for example, we say it for a strong and good wine), "cramoisi" means crimson (color caused by burning: it's built on the verb "cramer" - to burn) and "captivant" means attractive/facinating, but without sexual connotation (we mainly say it for a speech, a book, an author...). And what about "cane braisée" ? "Canard braisé" is a cook recipe. "Braisé" means "cooked with ember", but "braise" (ember) also has much seducting connotations ("oeil de braise" means ravishing eyes). Oh, and just for bad taste: if you just take off the [r] from "braise"... Sorry, I'm already out... 😇 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan springfield Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 As told by balkatun anf Loïc, If "no alliteration" is possible, "cane fatale" would be the best in my opinion. Everyone would understad and make the link with a woman. it also emphasize the antropmorphic aspects of durluz. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Stansfield Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 Thank you, everyone! It's very much appreciated! It looks like cane canaille is the favourite in terms of alliteration* – thank you, @Manimati and everyone! The more rakish element is definitely something I can work with; in fact, I suspect it might work a little better for what I had planned. (And I do like the can-can line, Gianni!) * And I'm nothing if not someone who likes to abandon deeper meaning and resonance in favour of petty stylistic elements... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Desperate WindChild Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 well if your duck loves a lot her partner(s), you can also say "cane cannibale" 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Brooke Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 A "man-eater"! Nice! 1 Quote Community Ambassador - Jonstown Compendium, Chaosium, Inc. Email: nick.brooke@chaosium.com for community content queries Jonstown Compendium ⧖ Facebook Ф Twitter † old website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loïc Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 (edited) I take the occasion of delivering you a french spoonerism: Les nouilles cuisent au jus de cane (meaning "the noodles are cooking with female duck juice"). And I won't give you the answer... If you don't find, you'll have to accomplish a heoric quest for Eurmal !!! 😁 EDIT: ...or just send me a PM and please call me "Trickster", en toute simplicité. 😇 Edited June 3, 2020 by Loïc 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir_Godspeed Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 3 hours ago, Loïc said: I take the occasion of delivering you a french spoonerism: Les nouilles cuisent au jus de cane (meaning "the noodles are cooking with female duck juice"). Ah, the famous erotic imagery of French. Bow-chica-quack-quack. --- I have nothing to add to this thread beyond saying I absolutely love the creativity that flows through this forum. Keep up the good work, folks! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan springfield Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Loïc !!! 😄 I tried a lot of combinations but still do not know what the "coodles of nooking "means... Maybe Tarzan could have the answer to your spoonerism ? That was a lot of fun ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loïc Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 4 hours ago, Jonathan springfield said: Loïc !!! 😄 I tried a lot of combinations but still do not know what the "coodles of nooking "means... Maybe Tarzan could have the answer to your spoonerism ? That was a lot of fun ! Just sent you a PM. And glad you enjoyed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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