Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

tout un contrat

English translation:

A tall order

Added to glossary by Sheila Hardie
Jul 17, 2008 11:06
15 yrs ago
2 viewers *
French term

tout un contrat

French to English Other Environment & Ecology
Pour obtenir une autorisation officielle du Conseil du contrôle de la pollution de l’État du XXX, il leur faudra déménager dans des locaux plus grands et ventilés, stocker les déchets de façon sécuritaire, fournir de l’équipement de protection aux ouvriers. ***Tout un contrat***. Mais l’enjeu est alléchant.

I am trying to decide on the best way of translating the expression 'tout un contrat' in this context. The text is about e-waste and the writer from Canada, by the way.



Many thanks in advance!



Sheila
Change log

Jul 18, 2008 07:16: Steffen Walter changed "Term asked" from "tout un contrat (in this context)" to "tout un contrat"

Proposed translations

+5
6 mins
French term (edited): tout un contrat (in this context)
Selected

A tall order

This could be a Canadian version of the expression "tout un programme"...

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Note added at 37 mins (2008-07-17 11:44:18 GMT)
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Bouncing off Claire's idea and therefore not for grading, how about "quite a task"?

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Note added at 47 mins (2008-07-17 11:54:02 GMT)
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Plenty to keep them busy...
Quite a list but well worth it in the end.
Peer comment(s):

agree :::::::::: (X)
4 mins
agree Claire Cox : Yes, or quite some job - anything along those lines, I'd have thought
12 mins
Good suggestion. Or perhaps "quite a task"
neutral Ysabel812 : Wouldn't "a tall order" mean it may not be feasible/ isn't reasonable to do all that work?
14 mins
You have a valid point, although scouting around it seems the expression has been "downsized" to mean a hefty job or task. But as I said, valid point and ambiguity is best avoided.
agree Andy Bliss : I like this - and I think the meaning is only that the task is difficult, not that it's undoable. I'm not suggesting this as an answer, but in colloquial UK English these days we'd probably say 'a big ask'!
2 hrs
agree NancyLynn : quite a task is what immediately came to mind
2 hrs
agree Aude Sylvain
3 hrs
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks to everyone for their answers and comments! I think this one fits my context best. Thanks again, Sheila"
+1
20 mins
French term (edited): tout un contrat (in this context)

This will take some doing/ a lot of work

What I believe is meant is, although there is a lot to do, "l'enjeu est alléchant."
My concern with "tall order" is that when we say that, we often mean a project isn't feasible/ is too much.

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Note added at 23 mins (2008-07-17 11:30:16 GMT)
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Check out this article:

http://www.cleveland.com/news/esullivan/index.ssf?/base/opin...

The title is Buy American? That's a tall order." and it talks about how difficult/impossible/unrealistic it is to do so.
Peer comment(s):

agree Enza Longo : yes, it means you have a heck of a contract ahead of you or quite a lot to handle - I'm from Montreal and hear this said quite often
14 mins
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51 mins
French term (edited): tout un contrat (in this context)

a major performance

another angle....
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3 hrs
French term (edited): tout un contrat (in this context)

quite a lot of things or an enormous amount or masses of things

or more colloquial: a hell of a lot

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Note added at 3 Stunden (2008-07-17 14:48:57 GMT)
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needs to be done yet
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