Glossary entry (derived from question below)
français term or phrase:
faire tâche d'huile
anglais translation:
gain ground, spread (of bad things), to
Added to glossary by
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Feb 11, 2002 19:02
23 yrs ago
4 viewers *
français term
Deb Phillips (X)
Tache d'huile
français vers anglais
Affaires / Finance
Any
Spread like ?
Faire tache d'huile
Um sich greifen
Faire tache d'huile
Um sich greifen
Proposed translations
(anglais)
| 4 +3 | gain ground |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
|
| 4 +2 | To spread/ To invade/ |
& Associates (X)
|
| 5 +1 | to spread like an oil slick |
VBaby
|
| 4 +1 | spread like wildfire |
John Lejderman
|
| 5 | soak in |
zaphod
|
| 5 | Added note |
Meri Buettner
|
| 4 | oil spot or grease spot |
Steven Geller
|
| 4 | spread like flies / the plague/ a bush fire /fog/ a bad winter flu/a virus |
Ineke Hardy
|
| 4 | spreads gradually |
Victor Foster
|
| 4 | creep insidiously |
Gillian Hargreaves (X)
|
Proposed translations
+3
27 minutes
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Native in anglais
Psychologist, Court-certified legal
Native in: anglais 
Works in: français vers anglais
Related KudoZ points
:
4638
Selected
gain ground
I love the expression "spread like widlfire", but I think that oil spreads more slowly than wildfire, so go with the Robert & Collins "gain ground" suggestion.
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Note added at 2002-02-11 19:48:45 (GMT)
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R&C gives \"spread\", \"gain ground\" for \"faire tâche d\'huile\" in the figurative sense if that is any help to your further note?!
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Note added at 2002-02-11 21:13:12 (GMT)
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Yolanda\'s Harrap\'s is useful, as I have heard this expression used just as Harrap\'s states, in reference to a bad example.
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Note added at 2002-02-11 19:48:45 (GMT)
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R&C gives \"spread\", \"gain ground\" for \"faire tâche d\'huile\" in the figurative sense if that is any help to your further note?!
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Note added at 2002-02-11 21:13:12 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Yolanda\'s Harrap\'s is useful, as I have heard this expression used just as Harrap\'s states, in reference to a bad example.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
DPolice
19 minutes
|
| agree |
Yolanda Broad
: This is one time where the R&C beats out the Harrap's 4 vol.: it just gives "[a bad example] that spreads"
1 heure
|
|
I have a real penchant for the R&C - dictionaries are such personal things!
|
|
| agree |
Meri Buettner
: mine R&C is falling apart...the best "general" dico you could ever own
4 heures
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ."
+2
8 minutes
To spread/ To invade/
The complete expression is "faire tache d'huile".
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Note added at 2002-02-11 19:14:20 (GMT)
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We definitely need more context in order to answer your question with a high degree of confidence.
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Note added at 2002-02-11 19:14:20 (GMT)
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We definitely need more context in order to answer your question with a high degree of confidence.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Nikki Scott-Despaigne
1 heure
|
| agree |
Maya Jurt
1 heure
|
| neutral |
Meri Buettner
: not sure about "invade" though...
6 heures
|
9 minutes
Steven Geller
Works in: français vers anglais, anglais vers français, anglais, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
1246
oil spot or grease spot
HTH
+1
13 minutes
to spread like an oil slick
Probably the nearest English expression, although it's about a different kind of oil!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
AnneM (X)
: keeps close to original and as your search confirms is used figuratively
5 heures
|
| neutral |
Meri Buettner
: I think this is "poetic license" - it doesn't really have the "hidden" meaning of the French (my opinion and not written in stone)
6 heures
|
+1
21 minutes
spread like wildfire
could depend on the context, but this is one possibility
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Anna Beria
: this is what came to mind
4 heures
|
| disagree |
Meri Buettner
: not the same thing - "to spread" or "to gain ground" but not quickly - just "slowly but surely"
6 heures
|
| agree |
Nerzh
20 heures
|
2 heures
Ineke Hardy
Pays-Bas
Pays-Bas
Pays-Bas
Style, accuracy, and research skills
Native in: néerlandais 
Works in: afrikaans vers anglais, néerlandais vers anglais, flamand vers anglais, and 11 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
62
spread like flies / the plague/ a bush fire /fog/ a bad winter flu/a virus
I prefer "spread like wildfire" but the possibilities are endless if you want to move away from the oil stain image.
4 heures
soak in
like an oil stain
6 heures
Meri Buettner
France
France
Native in anglais
France
High Quality Translations
Native in: anglais
Works in: anglais vers français, français vers anglais
Related KudoZ points
:
165
Added note
Faure tache d'huile = se propager d'une manière insensible et continue, en parlant d'un phénomène.
"tache d'huile" avait le sens de "chose irrémédiable, irréparable" et s'employait notamment pour désigner un affront, une atteinte à l'honneur, probablement à cause des connotations morales de "tache" (comme dans le très moderne "pov' tache par ex.)
This cannot be "spread like wildfire".
"tache d'huile" avait le sens de "chose irrémédiable, irréparable" et s'employait notamment pour désigner un affront, une atteinte à l'honneur, probablement à cause des connotations morales de "tache" (comme dans le très moderne "pov' tache par ex.)
This cannot be "spread like wildfire".
10 heures
Victor Foster
États-Unis
États-Unis
Native in anglais
États-Unis
Modern approaches: Art of translation
Native in: anglais
Works in: français vers anglais, anglais vers français
Related KudoZ points
:
209
spreads gradually
My 2 cents worth or suggestion
13 heures
creep insidiously
A bit more like the way an oil/grease spot spreads through a textile, to my mind.
Discussion