# Ça, par exemple !



## juninho8

bonjour à tous,

je me demande beaucoup ce que "ça par exemple" veut dire. pouvez-vous me dire?

et merci bien de votre aide!


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## Iznogoud

It's just an expression used to convey astonishment.


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## le Fnake

hello,

it doesn't have a specific meaning, it's just a way to express an astonishement when something one didn't expect happend.
You can consider it as an equivalent of "oh my god" (most of the time, one don't appeal god's help when one says it )


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## juninho8

ah je sais maintenant , je vous ai demandé parce que je l'ai beaucoup entendu en regardant "les adventures de tintin"

merci


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## david314

What an odd interjection! I would love to see some additional suggestions for an English counterpart. Can you help a brother out?


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## wildan1

david314 said:


> What an odd interjection! I would love to see some additional suggestions for an English counterpart. Can you help a brother out?



_Will you get a load of that?
That takes the cake!
Boy-oh-boy!
Well, I never! _(this one is a bit old-fashioned, which might be a match for an old Tintin comic)


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## le Fnake

I could add that it's a very politicaly correct way to express an astonishement (it fits perfectly with Tintin's universe), and often with Tintin's expression, it's rather "old fashion". Hope it helped you anyway 

thank you wildan for giving expressions i never saw (and so i couldn't suggest )


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## wildan1

Le Fnake, my suggestions are all old-fashioned enough to match Tintin's era--but you do still hear them said today (along with a lot of others that are more up-to-date and often ruder).


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## david314

_How do you like that! 
_
SOURCE:  The French subtitles _of The Bank Dick _with W.C. Fields.


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## Itisi

Would you believe it!


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## Enquiring Mind

Could have come out of Victor Meldrew's mouth as "I don't believe it!".


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## Itisi

Indeed, *EqM*!


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## Nicomon

_Unbelievable !_


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

"In-fucking-credible!", 'Unbe-fucking-lievable!" 

We can, of course, say "fricking" or "effing" for "fucking".


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## Uncle Bob

For a cynic "Oh dear" is amply sufficient.


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## Nicomon

"You don't say!"  "How amazing!". 
Dated :  "Good gracious!"

Ou marquant l'indignation, plutôt que l'étonnement :  "Well, honestly!"


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## wildan1

ain'ttranslationfun? said:


> "In-fucking-credible!", 'Unbe-fucking-lievable!" We can, of course, say "fricking" or "effing" for "fucking".


In Tintin? I don't think so... Way too vulgar and anyway, nobody spoke like that in those days.


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## Uncle Bob

"goodness gracious", "golly", "gosh", "gollygosh" ( all posh, the last three rather dated).


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## AmaryllisBunny

"[Well] how about that" ?
"golly gee" (a bit dated)


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## david314

Wunibald said:


> What _about_ that!


More commonly: _ *How* about that!_

I recently saw this translation in a Netflix American movie.


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## tartopom

juninho8 said:


> ah je sais maintenant , je vous ai demandé parce que je l'ai beaucoup entendu en regardant "les adventures de tintin"


Maybe also - to match Tintin's era
_Good gracious_

Or '_I'll be darned_' maybe.


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## Nicomon

Autre option, selon le contexte : _Well,  I never!  _ou la variante : _ Why, I never!_

J'aime bien_ Good gracious ... _ne serait-ce que parce que je l'ai aussi proposé en 2015.
C'est ce qui arrive quand de vieux fils sont réanimés.   

Lu à propos de Tintin, que je n'ai jamais lu en anglais (2 sources)  :  





> - phrases such as _*good gracious, golly, crikey, great snakes*_ and the like are sprinkled in the books.
> 
> - In French, Tintin uses several expressions to express surprise, such as _‘Ça, par exemple!’_or _‘Mon  Dieu!’_ or ‘_Sapristi!_.’ Instead of rendering each statement differently,  the  translators opted  to  use  the  expression *‘*_*Great snakes!’*_ as Tintin’s expression of surprise. Throughout the series, the English expression becomes Tintin’s trademark catchphrase.


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

Are "Heavens to Betsy!" or "Well, if that don't beat all!" Tintin-y enough?


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## tartopom

Nicomon said:


> 'aime bien_ Good gracious ... _ne serait-ce que parce que je l'ai aussi proposé en 2015.
> C'est ce qui arrive quand de vieux fils sont réanimés.


Oh, désolée, Nico, j'ai pas fait suffisamment attention.
Bon, je recommence

As Nico said - post 18- _Good gracious!_


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## Nicomon

C'est pas grave.   Ça prouve qu'on est du même avis, toi et moi.


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## tartopom




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## broglet

More possibilities: Good heavens! Heavens above! Well I never!


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## Nicomon

Thanks for confirming _Well I never!_, broglet.


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## broglet

Well I never! You already suggested it! Sorry!


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## sound shift

"Stone the crows!"


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## broglet

Gadzooks!


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

tartopom said:


> [...]
> Or '_I'll be darned_' maybe.



Or "I'll be!" Or "I'll be a sonuvagun!" or "Sonuvagun!" 

"Well, gosh all whillikers!"


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## joelooc

How come no one suggested "Holy cow!" ?


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

For le Capitaine Haddock, "Shiver me timbers!" ?


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## Nicomon

joelooc said:


> How come no one suggested "Holy cow!" ?


 Pour moi c'est plus proche de  _(Oh) La vache ! / Bonté divine !_
Mais quelqu'un l'a suggéré dans ce fil au même titre, sans virgule (post 3)   : *Ça par exemple*



broglet said:


> Well I never! You already suggested it! Sorry!


  Go figure why I never noticed that wildan1 suggested it way back when in 2007  (#6).
I could swear the last line of that post was _ Boy-oh-Boy!_ last time I checked.


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## broglet

Great Scott!


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## Nicomon

> *(Çà) par exemple !, *
> exprime la surprise ou le mécontentement, l'impatience.


  Partant de cette définition, l'expression peut changer selon le contexte.

Dans le genre vieillot (variante de _Boy oh boy_)  :_   My, oh, my!_


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

sound shift said:


> "Stone the crows!"



"Coo!", "Gorblimey!"


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## broglet

Jesus! Jeez! Gee! Christ! Jesus Christ! Christ Almighty! Jesus Christ Almighty! God! God Almighty! Holy Moses! Holy cow!


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## Locape

Est-ce que 'Jesus', 'Jeez', 'Gee', 'Christ' ou même 'Jesus Christ' sont autant utilisés en BE qu'en AE ? Je ne me rappelle pas les avoir entendu autant qu'aux États-Unis (quand je me demandais ce qu'était ce 'jeez' !).


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## Topsie

*Fancy that!  *


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## wildan1

broglet said:


> Jesus! Jeez! Gee! Christ! Jesus Christ! Christ Almighty! Jesus Christ Almighty! God! God Almighty! Holy Moses! Holy cow!


I can only imagine _Holy cow! _coming out of the mouth of Tintin, however. The others aren't the language of a young boy.


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## Nicomon

wildan1 said:


> The others aren't the language of a young boy.


 À mon avis, c'est plus une question de registre que d'âge.

Je n'aurais jamais traduit  _ Jesus, Christ,  Jesus Christ Almighty, _ etc.  par _Ça, par exemple!   _
Au Québec, on a des tas d'autres équivalents  français plus « religieux ». 

Je préfère la suggestion précédente (vieillie) de broglet :  _Great Scott! _
Et j'aime bien _Fancy that! _ (Topsie) qu'on peut aussi traduire, selon le contexte, par _Tiens donc !  / Pas possible ! _


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

Locape said:


> Est-ce que 'Jesus', 'Jeez', 'Gee', 'Christ' ou même 'Jesus Christ' sont autant utilisés en BE qu'en AE ? Je ne me rappelle pas les avoir entendu autant qu'aux États-Unis (quand je me demandais ce qu'était ce 'jeez' !).



"Jesus!" "God Almighty!" etc. are considered offensive (blasphemous) by many Christians; the name of God isn't taken in vain by many Jews, too.


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## broglet

Locape said:


> Est-ce que 'Jesus', 'Jeez', 'Gee', 'Christ' ou même 'Jesus Christ' sont autant utilisés en BE qu'en AE ?


Tous sauf Jeez


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## david314

Topsie said:


> *Fancy that! *


Strictly B.E.


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## SwissPete

Well, I'll be!
An expression of surprise or astonishment, especially regarding some recent revelation.​
*Source*.


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## broglet

An unusual way of expressing surprise: "whale oil beef hooked!"


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## Topsie

broglet said:


> An unusual way of expressing surprise: "whale oil beef hooked!"


   luv it!!! the SMS version is WOBH.... nuff said.


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