Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
To fall between the chairs
French translation:
passer entre les mailles du filet
Added to glossary by
erwan-l
Jun 22, 2015 08:24
8 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
To fall between the chairs
English to French
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Individuals in a team who take ownership can free workload from a leader leaving less items/matters falling between the chairs to be picked up by the leader or other colleagues.
Une idée ?
Merci,
Suzy
Une idée ?
Merci,
Suzy
Proposed translations
(French)
Change log
Jun 23, 2015 10:25: erwan-l Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
+4
25 mins
Selected
passer entre les mailles du filet
“to fall between the chairs” : « passer entre les mailles du filet »
Proche de : “fall between the cracks” / “slip through the net” / “slip through the cracks”
Peer comment(s):
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Françoise Vogel
: ce serait dommage de s'en priver
1 hr
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Merci. Il me semble que c'est exactement le sens du texte, bien entendu ; sinon je ne l'aurais pas proposé ;-)
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| agree |
Gregory Lassale
3 hrs
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Merci.
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Daryo
: this has a different connotation; it's more used when someone managed to wiggle its way through a system that's supposed to stop him - like avoiding road checks, or getting out of the country despite border controls... or getting a job with a fake degree
4 hrs
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These connotations are of course usual; but an other one, slightly less "negative" does exist: des dossiers "passent ente les mailles" du filet des procédures, du travail bien fait, du sérieux... et/ou faute de temps - ce qui est bien le cas ici.
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| agree |
GILLES MEUNIER
6 hrs
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Merci.
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| agree |
Sheila Wilson
: I heard it used in many similar situations when I lived in France
23 hrs
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Thank you!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
5 mins
Pierre POUSSIN
France
France
Native in French
Works in field
France
Fast and accurate.
Native in: French (Variant: Standard-France) 
Works in: English to French, French to English, Latin to French, and 2 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
200
qui délaisse des objets /sujets...
Image difficile à rendre...
+2
17 mins
de manière à réduire les matières non prises en charge
the matters "that fall between the chairs" are not assigned to anyone, and must be "picked up", taken charge of by the leader
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Victoria Britten
31 mins
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thanks!
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| agree |
Tony M
: Yes, the 'chairs' represent different people's jobs/functions — so these are jobs that no-one thinks are their responsibility...
45 mins
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thanks Tony!
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+2
1 hr
English term (edited):
leaving less items/matters falling between the chairs
en laissant moins de dossiers/cas dont personne ne s'occupe
... dont personne ne veut
"falling between the chairs" has to do with two aspects of bureaucracy
first: it's a office job thus a "chair" is an image for a bureaucrat
second: the principle of "competence" - not in the sense of "knowing what you are doing", but in the sense that each bureaucrat has the right and duty to deal only with some strictly defined cases;
IOW if there is some matter that is not within the strictly defined "competence" of anyone in the team, no one accepts to deal with it, no one wants to take it - so it "falls between the chairs"
"falling between the chairs" has to do with two aspects of bureaucracy
first: it's a office job thus a "chair" is an image for a bureaucrat
second: the principle of "competence" - not in the sense of "knowing what you are doing", but in the sense that each bureaucrat has the right and duty to deal only with some strictly defined cases;
IOW if there is some matter that is not within the strictly defined "competence" of anyone in the team, no one accepts to deal with it, no one wants to take it - so it "falls between the chairs"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
: Correct analysis!
5 mins
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Thanks!
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| agree |
GILLES MEUNIER
11 mins
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Merci!
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Discussion
This is not talking about the qualities of the leader, but of the team members... if they are more flexible in playing their part, then less will be left over to be dealt with by the leader.
Improved English:
a leader [comma] leaving less [fewer] items/matters falling between the chairs.