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cour de commutation

Glossary entry

français term or phrase:

EAU la la

anglais translation:

water-ful/liquid-licious/pure H2O/Oh la la!

Added to glossary by Clare Hogg
Jan 28, 2014 21:52
10 yrs ago
français term

EAU la la

français vers anglais Marketing Cosmétiques / produits de beauté copywriting
I am translating a marketing text about a luxury brand of innovative WATER-BASED eye make-up.

I need to think of an, ideally equally clever, catchy yet meaningful English translation for the FR play on words, " EAU la la" in the below context:

Un splash de vitalité chromatique pour vivre l'été autrement.
EAU la la… on en a l'eau à la bouche !

A vibrant splash of vitality to see summer in a different light.
????? .. utterly mouthwatering!

Thanks in advance for any ideas you have!!
Proposed translations (anglais)
3 water-ful
3 +1 So fresh!
4 Oh la la
4 Eau dear!
3 EAU-some!
3 Ho la la
3 cool !
Change log

Jan 29, 2014 07:36: writeaway changed "Field" from "Autre" to "Marketing" , "Field (write-in)" from "luxury eye make-up" to "copywriting "

Discussion

writeaway Jan 29, 2014:
Uh-Eau la la ooh la la.......

Good find rachela, Sounds like the whole thing may need a rethink by client.........

rachelha
United Kingdom

Eau la la already exists as a make-up line:
http://www.musingsofamuse.com/2012/04/sleek-makeup-eau-la-la...
Didier Fourcot Jan 29, 2014:
@Patrick À l'eau quoi... t'as pas ton splash de vitalité chromatique?
Encore un que les anglais ne pourront pas comprendre (et qu'on aura oublié dans deux semaines)
rachelha Jan 29, 2014:
Eau la la already exists as a make-up line:
http://www.musingsofamuse.com/2012/04/sleek-makeup-eau-la-la...
patrickfor Jan 29, 2014:
Allo quoi.... :-)
(c) Nabila....
katsy Jan 29, 2014:
I agree with writeaway on all points.... I still think that "eau la la" is the best option. All English speakers, I would contend, know 'ooh la la', most, I would still maintain, know that eau is water....
writeaway Jan 29, 2014:
Please let us know what the outcome is There was no input from you at all about your own ideas, so I hope you'll let everyone know the final outcome.
Clare Hogg (asker) Jan 29, 2014:
thanks to you all for your enthusiasm!! thanks to you all for your enthusiasm for my question! Some really great ideas and useful tips!!
Nikki Scott-Despaigne Jan 29, 2014:
PS.
I'm not wild about "mouth-watering" for eye makeup. Salivation is associated much more naturally with food, taste and so on. It might work for a lipstick, maybe, depends on context. But for eye makeup, I'd avoid it.
Nikki Scott-Despaigne Jan 29, 2014:
I think that were the attention of a native speaker of English to be drawn to the "eau", yes, they may well know it means water. However, there is a subtle step to get the pun, which in context has to be instant. To a French speaker, native or not, the pun is obvious. It is risky for an Englishs-speaking target.

I agree with the person who suggests going with "Oh! Là là!" and then going for a pun elsewhere, if possible.

Part of our job is explaining to clients that their idea does simply not work. This one is not difficult to explain to a client. If the client continues to insist, then you are not in an easy position. You might try crossing the bridge into his camp by saying that you understand there is no doubt a lot of money riding on this one and that he would not want it tofall flat, now would he?
Try with other examples of idioms :
ciel mon mari! = sky my husband
vâchement chouette! = cowly owl
raining cats and dogs = il pleut des chats et des chiens
I'm sure he'll get the point.
Lorraine Dubuc Jan 29, 2014:
I completely agree with writeaway that this is copywriting and not translation. So there should be credit and pay granted to the person who's idea will satisfy the slogan request.
writeaway Jan 29, 2014:
Gallagy But that's exactly what it means in French. Oh la la. It's just funny when one reads it.
Yvonne Gallagher Jan 29, 2014:
@ Writeaway
You're living in Belgium remember! You'd (obviously) be amazed at how little is understood although a few ads use bits of French. I just asked my sister what "eau la la" would say to her and all I got was "Oh la la". Absolutely no comprehension of the "eau" though when I then asked the meaning of "eau-de toilette" she hesitantly said "toilet water?" (and no idea of "eau de vie" though I prompted with "c'est la vie"). Fact is, she didn't make the connection and I think she has a high standard of English:-) So, I understand why the client wants an English translation... And just to add, "water of perfume" or "toilet water" don't exactly sound too nice in English so perhaps that's why people leave them in French and don't think about the "eau" part
writeaway Jan 29, 2014:
Gallagy We agree to disagree. I seriously doubt that people buying cosmetics and beauty problems are clueless as to the meaning of eau. People are less well educated that in bygone days but I wouldn't underestimate them to that degree. French isn't exactly a language no one heard of and many people know a few basic words. Eau would be one of them.
Yvonne Gallagher Jan 29, 2014:
Writeaway

Do the majority know Eau= water? I don't think so.
writeaway Jan 29, 2014:
@Gallagy The context is cosmetics. Does that mean that Eau de toilette is something English speakers won't understand? Only toilet water??
Yvonne Gallagher Jan 29, 2014:
just keep "oh la la!" and incorporate a pun in the rest of translation if needed. I think the majority of English speakers would not get the pun (or meaning) of "eau la la"! For "mouthwatering" I'd put "liquidly-licious/liquid-liciousness" or some such
writeaway Jan 29, 2014:
Eau de parfum, Eau de toilette, Eau de vie No one is supposed to understand them even though they are found in everyday English???
Elizabeth Tamblin Jan 29, 2014:
I was thinking of some kind of pun, like "water [what a] lovely look" - but that sounds ridiculous! I'd definitely go with 'eau la la'.
patrickfor Jan 29, 2014:
Client insisting on EN translation... Well I would like a french translation to start with :-)
"un splash de vitalité chromatique" what is this???
writeaway Jan 29, 2014:
This is copywriting, not translation EAU la la works fine in English too. Try and convince your client. Otherwise it would be fair to hear your own ideas too. This is pure copywriting and this should be more brainstorming rather than just picking people's brains. After all, any idea from others will be presented to your client as your own.
Clare Hogg (asker) Jan 29, 2014:
My client is insisting on an EN translation! I agree with the very valid points made in the discussion, but my client is insisting on a "full" EN translation of this!
Lorraine Dubuc Jan 28, 2014:
oh la la...
(a splash of vitality is already expressing the water effect of the French version and again in mouthwatering)
splash en français c'est éclaboussement...laissez-vous éclabousser...(il me semble)
katsy Jan 28, 2014:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eau_de_toilette
katsy Jan 28, 2014:
leave it like that? Insofar as in perfumery the French word "eau" can be used in English (eau de toilette , or eau de cologne for example ) though not exclusively, of course; and insofar as "ooh la la" is recognisable to all English speakers, I'd be tempted to leave it as it is...

Proposed translations

15 heures
Selected

water-ful

It's water-ful utterly mouthwatering!

Play on waterfall??!!
Peer comment(s):
neutral Sonia Geerlings : you don't want anything running with eye makeup...
25 minutes
OK! Maybe based on wonderful instead then :)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "client liked this as a play on words in English using word "water", so most similar to the French approach. Thanks to all the other people who contributed to this posting in a friendly and constructive manner. There were lots of other great, inspiring ideas which I have added to the glossary."
11 heures

EAU-some!

A vibrant splash of color for a new summer experience.
Mouthwatering does not seem to me particularly appealing in the context of makeup.
Perhaps "refreshing".
Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : EAU seems to be the problem for the client. Otherwise EAU la la would have remained since it's really perfect
7 minutes
Something went wrong...
12 heures

Ho la la

I do like "Eau-some" but if you insist that you want English with a subtle touch of French, this is supported by a few encounters of "oh la la " with "mouth watering" experiences below

The question remains whether "oh la la" commonly used by English-speaking people is really English?
Just ask a parisian in a "parking" who is also a "tennisman" or plays "flipper"? The frontier may be blurred between languages when it comes to such catch words
Reference:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187147-d944279-r179251756-Cafe_de_Vendome-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/16645142

Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : conjures up hola in Spanish. if it ain't broken, don't fix it. EAU la la is perfect and works perfectly in English as well.
15 minutes
Something went wrong...
+1
13 heures

So fresh!

This is a term all the kids and people like will.i.am are using to mean something is cool or trendy or otherwise attractive.

Reference:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fresh

Peer comment(s):
neutral writeaway : Eau no........ :) /Eau yes, definitely. :)
47 minutes
Eau, it was worth a try ;)
agree Alison Kapor (X)
9 heures
Thanks - that's very kind!
Something went wrong...
1 heure

cool !

suggestion
or Cool dew

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Note added at 16 hrs (2014-01-29 14:26:03 GMT)
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Wondrous water

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Note added at 16 hrs (2014-01-29 14:27:03 GMT)
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or wonderful water
Something went wrong...
14 heures

Oh la la

see discussion

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Note added at 14 hrs (2014-01-29 12:26:10 GMT)
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just keep "oh la la!" and incorporate a pun in the rest of translation if needed. I think the majority of English speakers would not get the pun (or meaning) of "eau la la"!

For "mouthwatering" I'd put ,b>"liquidly-licious/liquid-liciousness" or some such

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2014-01-29 12:28:35 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

should be
"liquidly-licious/liquid-liciousness" or some such for the
"mouthwatering"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 hrs (2014-01-29 13:46:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and you could add a "luscious" as well. It is about copy-writing here rather than straight translation.

or simply-licious/simply-luscious

a couple of examples of "licious" in use

"l" sounds in English evoke liquids, ask any poet (or Lit. teacher!)...

http://www.pinterest.com/sofiaaziz/eye-liciously-delicious-m...

http://mybeautysource.wordpress.com/tag/line-a-licious-felt-...

another idea (???): "Oh my my!" becomes "Oh my eye(s)!"

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Note added at 17 hrs (2014-01-29 15:27:03 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or even eye-licious

lots of words can be put in front of "-licious"
Something went wrong...
1 jour 19 heures

Eau dear!

Oh la la could be interpreted as 'oh dear', 'my oh my', or even 's**t!' depending on the context. Who doesn't know what Eau de toilette is? Eau might be a well-enough known word overseas to accept this play-on-words. Good luck!
Something went wrong...
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