Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
balai cantonnier
English translation:
yard broom
Added to glossary by
mimi 254
Oct 9, 2009 10:40
14 yrs ago
French term
balai cantonnier
French to English
Tech/Engineering
Agriculture
Sorry, no context.
It is a list of tools :
- griffe piocheuse
- élageur coupe tirante
- balai gazon fil plat
- balai cantonnier
Help please as I don't even know what they look like!
It is a list of tools :
- griffe piocheuse
- élageur coupe tirante
- balai gazon fil plat
- balai cantonnier
Help please as I don't even know what they look like!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +6 | yard broom |
Tony M
|
| 4 | besom |
B D Finch
|
Proposed translations
+6
3 mins
Selected
yard broom
The ones I'm familiar with have long bristles, and sometimes a flat, wide head (instead of one like an ordinary household broom), and are suitable for outdoor sweeping jobs like leaves, gravel etc.
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Note added at 4 mins (2009-10-09 10:44:43 GMT)
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A quick Google image search throws up loads of good examples...
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Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-09 12:06:15 GMT)
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For reference, my Robert + Collins gives 'balai de bouleau' for 'besom' — traditionally made from birch twigs, of course! Have you seen the hideous green plastic artificial ones they now make?!
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Note added at 4 mins (2009-10-09 10:44:43 GMT)
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A quick Google image search throws up loads of good examples...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-09 12:06:15 GMT)
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For reference, my Robert + Collins gives 'balai de bouleau' for 'besom' — traditionally made from birch twigs, of course! Have you seen the hideous green plastic artificial ones they now make?!
Note from asker:
| Thanks Tony! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
B D Finch
: You were right: see ref posting.
33 mins
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Thanks, Barbara! A besom is certainly one type of broom used by cantonniers, but does have a specific name in FR too.
|
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| agree |
mohanv
: also Road Broom
1 hr
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Thanks, Mohan!
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| agree |
Clair Pickworth
2 hrs
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Thanks, Clair!
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| agree |
Mark Nathan
: Witches must have been so disappointed when this sort of broom became standard.
10 hrs
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Thanks, Mark! "When shall we three meet again...?"
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| agree |
Owen Beith
12 hrs
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Thanks, Owen!
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| agree |
Rachel Fell
1 day 23 hrs
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Thanks, Rachel!
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "I very much appreciate your help."
34 mins
besom
Here's a picture of a really cheap artificial one:
http://www.laredoute.fr/vente-balai-du-cantonnier.aspx?produ...
And here's one complete with some info on use!
http://www.earthwitchery.com/besom.html
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Note added at 42 mins (2009-10-09 11:22:47 GMT)
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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Besom_broom.jpg
http://www.laredoute.fr/vente-balai-du-cantonnier.aspx?produ...
And here's one complete with some info on use!
http://www.earthwitchery.com/besom.html
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Note added at 42 mins (2009-10-09 11:22:47 GMT)
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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Besom_broom.jpg
Note from asker:
| Thank you very much! I think you got it! |
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tony M
: Sadly, a 'besom' is only one type of 'balai cantonnier', and by no means the most common; I think the term would be far too specific, unless there are other clues in the wider context to point to this
28 mins
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Yes, you are right. See my agree with your answer. A besom see,s to be a balai à paille or à fibre.
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Reference comments
1 hr
Gad Kohenov
Israel
Israel
Native in French
Works in field
Israel
30 years of experience+satisfied clients
Native in: French 
, Hebrew
Works in: English to Hebrew, Hebrew to English, French to Hebrew, and 8 more.
Reference:
Found in Termium but good for railway related contexs only
balai de cantonnier
MASC.
DEF – ... brooms made of stiff durable fibers ... used to keep snow from accumulating between switch points and stocks rails. These brooms are also available with a metal chisel point at the top of the handle for chipping and scraping out the compacted ice and snow. Source, record 1, Definition 1 - switch broom
MASC.
DEF – ... brooms made of stiff durable fibers ... used to keep snow from accumulating between switch points and stocks rails. These brooms are also available with a metal chisel point at the top of the handle for chipping and scraping out the compacted ice and snow. Source, record 1, Definition 1 - switch broom
12 hrs
Owen Beith
Native in English
Works in field
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, Catalan to English, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Reference:
Garden tools
This is quite a good starting point with some very clear pictures -
http://jardinor.wordpress.com/
http://jardinor.wordpress.com/
Discussion
- BALAI CANTONNIER FIB. PLAST. I assume fib stands for fibre and plast for plastique. Sorry i did not add this as i did not know it has any implication on the answer.
gives photos alongside the name, so it seems that they are not besoms.