Sep 20, 2006 17:15
18 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

Ça fait MAC.

French to English Social Sciences General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
This is how the whole sentence goes.;
"Cela se répare mais ça fait MAC."

I don't think this "MAC" is anything to do with MacIntosh computer. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you all.

Discussion

Jean-Luc Dumont Sep 21, 2006:
Thanks Natasha :-). Thank you anoni. No problem :-)
anoni (asker) Sep 21, 2006:
Thnak you for your advice Natasha. I have closed question without noticing JLDSF's comments. I have awarded points to him.
Natasha Dupuy Sep 21, 2006:
Hence the importance of providing accurate context for answerers to work with. I do believe you should at least award points to JLDSF for his time and for coming up with the "ça fait mal" idea in the first place.
anoni (asker) Sep 20, 2006:
I have to apologize... This text was hand written. So I have came to the idea that the sentence could to "Ça fait MAL" which makes a lot more sense. I am going for "mal". Sorry for the confusion and thanks a lot for your help.
Natasha Dupuy Sep 20, 2006:
This is way out of left field but I'm going to throw it in anyway. I found a couple of references to MacGyver (Mac) - with his trusty swiss army knife and duct tape... doing just enough patching up to get out of a sticky situation.
Julie Barber Sep 20, 2006:
OK. Mac - in the meaning that Jonathan has given can also mean to 'reign in' (reign somebody in) - ie get them under your thumb - se faire maquer (if that's how you spell it...)
anoni (asker) Sep 20, 2006:
Additional context Sorry I can not give out the exact text for confidentiality reason. However, the story is that

the person is complaining about his/her department keep splitting every time there is a management change....even though the position needs the stability.

Hope this helps. Thanks
Julie Barber Sep 20, 2006:
what's the rest of the sentence / letter about?
Jonathan MacKerron Sep 20, 2006:
most references in the Internet to ca fait mac, do indeed have to do with MacIntosh computers!
Jonathan MacKerron Sep 20, 2006:
any more context here??

Proposed translations

+1
2 hrs
Selected

Faire (le) mac

to be a show off - faire le mac
to show off, to flaunt - frimer crâner, se la jouer

suivant contexte - si pas informatique :-)

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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-09-20 19:58:42 GMT)
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could be a typo ?

Ca fait mal - but it hurts ?
Peer comment(s):

agree Kate Hudson (X)
14 hrs
merci Kate
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I have closed the question without noticing your comments but I agree with your typo idea. Thanks you for your help. "
8 mins

it would be like pimping

derivative of maquereau ?

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Note added at 12 mins (2006-09-20 17:28:03 GMT)
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Petit Robert "mac [mak] n. m.
• 1835; dimin. de maquereau
¨ Arg. Souteneur. "

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Note added at 29 mins (2006-09-20 17:44:32 GMT)
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probably more like "make-shift solution" or some such like?

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Note added at 59 mins (2006-09-20 18:14:44 GMT)
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"you'd have to pimp it together"
Peer comment(s):

neutral Julie Barber : this was the first thing that I thought of too! although it doesn't really seem to fit the context....
55 mins
Something went wrong...
14 hrs

Company name

The MacGyver thing is a good idea, but maybe it is a company name.

"We can fix it but the company's going down the tubes like MAC".

Mining Association of Canada???

http://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&q=companies canada mac&met...
Note from asker:
Thank you for your help.
Something went wrong...
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