# Famous last words!



## zazabelle

Hi!
I do know how to use the expression"Famous last words" but cannot manage to translate it into French-Can someone help me?
Cheers!


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## edwingill

c'est ce que tu crois


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## linguist786

edwingill said:
			
		

> c'est ce que tu crois


huh? how do you know what she is thinking? 

I think a literal translation would work here: "Les derniers mots célèbres"

non?


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## zazabelle

Oh thanks Edwingill! And that was quick!
I would have never translated it this way though but it makes sens.

Thanks again


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## Gardefeu

Erm.. this_ is _quite a bit confusing... as a Frenchman, I'm glad to see that a native also can be confused.
Am I correct in guessing that there is such a colloquial expression as "famous last words" in your language, with the meaning of "C'est ce que tu crois"?
Could you be more explicit about the context?


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## edwingill

in English the expression "famous last words" is used to express disbelief in a sarcastic way. It is not the famous last words of famous people.


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## LV4-26

_C'est ce que tu crois_ conveys the idea
It depends on the context.
I once translated it as "_ne parlez pas trop vite".

_


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## LV4-26

I don't know the exact origin of the expression but I think the general idea is that someone says something like "I'm invincible" (their famous last words) and the next day, that person dies. 
Then, by extension, the meaning becomes something like "you shouldn't be so assertive".


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## emma42

C'est exacte, LV4! D'autres exemples :

*You'll see we will definitely win this match [at the match they are beaten soundly]. Famous last words!*

*It will be fine for the picnic tomorrow. It is bound to be sunny. [next day, it is pelting with rain]. Famous last words!*


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## zam

Below are a few examples of the use of this phrase in everyday life, alongside possible translations.

1. Maureen from Wales (remember her?) is taking her driving test for the 18th time. S, a colleague says: try not to get too stressed about it Maureen, you know the car well, it won’t let you down and you’ve practised thoroughly. Besides, you’re feeling confident at the moment, just pretend it’s a normal driving lesson. *Famous last words… = Enfin, espérons…*

2. My wife and I vowed that if we ever had kids, they would be little angels. *Famous last words… = Oui, bon, ça je le note hein ! *

3. ‘I’m never going to have another drink again’ said John nursing his hangover.
‘oh yeah’ said his friend, *‘famous last words…’*
*= Ça, je te le ressortirai ! / On en reparlera !*

4. Assembling this KIKEA cabinet will be quick and straightforward I ‘m sure, *(famous last words !).*
*= Euh, je m’avance un peu peut-être !*

5. ‘We’ll win the lotto jackpot this week and move to Brazil !’
*‘famous last words’ = c’est ce que tu crois/t’imagines/on peut toujours rêver…*


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## emma42

Mes amis. In BE the phrase,"famous last words" means, equally, the famous last words of a celebrated person, _and _the sarcastic examples given above. […]


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## CARNESECCHI

Hello,
Comme traduction, je vous propose "les fameuses phrases définitives"


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## LV4-26

texasweed said:
			
		

> Raz le bol des sous-entendus à la française!


 I'm totally confused. The first question here is about the English expression. The problem of a possible French tranlsation comes next and is connected to the above. The potential "sous-entendu" is* in the English phrase,* isn't it? Or am I getting mad?

If _famous last words_ is a fixed expression (which seems obvious when you google it and was confirmed by emma42 in her post #16 or am I imagining things?) and hence, has a figurative meaning, then can you really translate it word-to-word?

Example of a translation :

_- They [the police] won't find any evidence because I didn't do anything.
- Famous last words, Mr X. But that won't stop them finding some._

Translation
_- Derniers mots célèbres,   Mr X. Mais ça ne les empêchera pas d'en trouver.

_If you're satisfied by the above translation, then suit yourself. I'm ready to declare that _derniers mots célèbres_ is the best possible translation for _famous last words_, whatever the context. After all, I have nothing to gain from giving the asker what seems the best answer to me. (not that I'm not willing to be contradicted...provided it's in a polite way)

EDIT
Do I need to add that, of course


> Les derniers mots célèbres de Ludwig Van Beethoven furent : "I shall hear in heaven"...


 in that context, _derniers mots célèbres_ seems perfectly fine to me?


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## Aoyama

....Les mots de la fin célèbres.


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## Quantz

Propos illusoires/téméraires


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## SteveRusso

Petites phrases célèbres ?


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## Keith Bradford

Non mais, écoutez bien: _famous last words_. C'est à dire les petits mots célèbres prononcés juste avant la mort. 

"Derniers mots célèbres" ????

Bien sûr, dans la liste hilarante proposée par AV16ar, ce sont les derniers essais d'une industrie mourante pour se justifier devant un successeur qui va l'emporter sur elle.  En général le terme s'applique aux dernières paroles d'un agonisant.


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## Quantz

Le mien s'applique au sens figuré, le vôtre au sens propre.


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## Uncle Bob

Je pense que Keith Bradford est trop gentil - pour moi, les bons mots proposés par avi16ar ne sont des "famous last words" mais simplement des bons mots.
Le meilleur example qui vient à l'esprit est celui d'Oscar Wilde, mourant à l'hôtel 'L'hôtel' (rue Jacob, Paris 6ème): "Either this wallpaper goes or I do." ("Soit c'est le papier peint qui part, soit c'est moi").


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## edwingill

"c'est ce que tu crois!"


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## A.P

Bonjour je bloque sur l'expression "Famous last words." J'ai regardé les différents topic sur le sujet, mais n'ai rien trouvé.

*Contexte :* Deux amies parlent d'un mec que l'une d'elles vient de rencontrer.

A : This guy could be a mass murderer, for all you know.
B : Don't be ridiculous. lt's not like he's a stranger or anything. What? l've seen him on campus. He even came to the TV station today, okay? Then he's practically family. l like him. l trust him.
A : Famous last words.

Merci d'avance pour votre aide.


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## edwingill

"c'est ce que tu crois"


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## A.P

edwingill said:


> "c'est ce que tu crois"


Je trouve que ça fait bizarre.


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## A.P

misterk said:


> Do you need help understanding how it is used and what it means in English?
> Or are you simply looking for a French equivalent?


Oui, je pense avoir compris, mais je trouve pas d'équivalent en français.


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## sejean

A.P said:


> Je trouve que ça fait bizarre.



"C'est ce que tu crois" seems like an appropriate translation because the point is that A is expressing doubt about B's judgment. A is also implying that B's bad judgment could be dangerous for B. I'm not sure how to render all this in French succinctly.

What about something like "On verra si tu as raison de penser ainsi." (Forgive me if this is bad French.)

Or "Ne parle pas trop vite"/"Faut pas parler trop vite"?


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## Itisi

Comme disait l'autre !


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## Liidiie

Je pense que "C'est ce que tu crois" et "On verra si tu as raison de penser ainsi" (qui est du bon français d'ailleurs) traduisent bien l'idée, je préfère peut être le premier parce-qu'il est plus concis, comme "famous last words".
Ma proposition serait "C'est toi qui le dit". Cela veut dire la même chose que "C'est ce que tu crois", et c'est une expression qu'on utilise souvent à l'oral.


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## carog

misterk said:


> Do you need help understanding how it is used and what it means in English?



I do! 
I fail to see the link between "famous last words" and "c'est ce que tu crois". Does "famous last words" imply (in a literal sense) that someone who is about to die says "all is ok"?


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## pyan

Hello carog.  

In A.P.'s context, and similar ones, "famous last words" is intended to be ironic.  There are lots of stories (many apocryphal) of famous people who made predictions which turned out to be false later. Somehow this got mixed up with the original "famous last words", or deathbed utterances.

Example: Maréchal Foch didn't say this on his deathbed, if he ever said it, but it is now listed under "famous last words". (The quote is famous, and he was wrong, that's all.)
"L'aviation pour l'armée c'est zéro". Ferdinand Foch, Maréchal de France (1851-1929). 

"Famous last words" in this context, informal, between friends, is similar to "so that's what you think, but you may be wrong".  I hope this helps the suggested translations make more sense.


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## sejean

One of the entries on Urban Dictionary explains this phrase well:



> 1. used in a conversation to show disbelief of the previous statement.
> 
> 2. used as a warning that following the course of action just mentioned will result in impending doom.



In this case, both meanings are implied. Since A mentions that the guy could be a mass-murderer, and B says "I trust him," the response "Famous last words" implies not only "You may be wrong" but also "That's the kind of naive thing someone says right before he/she gets murdered!" You might say something like this in a joking fashion, but with an element of concern implied "beneath" the joke. Hope that makes sense.


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## Aoyama

Here, I understand A.P's doubts about "je trouve que ça fait bizarre" = it looks/sounds strange to me ...
I'd go for :
.ça c'est profond (ironical)
. où t'as trouvé ça ?
. drôlement bien trouvé (ironical)


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## Itisi

I fail to see the link between "famous last words" and "c'est ce que tu crois". Does "famous last words" imply (in a literal sense) that someone who is about to die says "all is ok"?[/QUOTE]

To me, that is the implication.  The person is tempting fate by saying the situation is ok.
(Hence my suggestion @ #7  [for what it's worth] implying someting befell the other person who said those words.)


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## Squiggle

"Famous last words" in this coloquial context means that the opposite of what you have just said might well turn out to be true.
Look at the original post. B says: "I trust him." and A says: "Famous last words." implying B might regret having said all that about the person not looking or acting like a murderer and that B trusts him.
I have no idea how to say it in French.


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## Guill

"Tu vas vite déchanter"


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## Aoyama

> "Tu vas vite déchanter"


c'est beau comme de l'antique, ou encore "il t'en cuira" ... Mais peut-être pas exactement dans l'air du temps.
Plus simplement (encore) :
. ah ouais, vraiment ?
. et puis/pis quoi encore ? (selon contexte)
. Ouais, je demande à voir ...


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## Itisi

Ou encore: Puisses-tu avoir raison


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## Guill

Aoyama said:


> c'est beau comme de l'antique, ou encore "il t'en cuira" ... Mais peut-être pas exactement dans l'air du temps.



Vraiment ? Il m'arrive de le dire ou de l'entendre sans que ça me choque


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## Jean-Michel Carrère

J'espère que tu n'auras pas à le regretter ...


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