# more than remote likelihood



## AnnaScott

Hi everybody, 

Could you help me ? 
How will you translate in French "more than remote likelihood" ? 

Thanks a lot.


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## DaveBowman

EDIT: This is NOT an even remotely correct suggestion (thanks pieanne)
"Une ressemblance plus qu'hasardeuse"?
A broader context might help.


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## pieanne

No, "likelihood" is not "ressemblance"...
I think it corresponds to "une infime chance, possibilité"


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## DaveBowman

Ouh là , oui... Merci pieanne, définitivement mal réveillé moi, aujoud'hui...

"Une possibilité non négligeable" serait peut-être une bonne traduction


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## AnnaScott

Thank you for your answer. 
Unfortunately, I haven't got the exact context. 
I know that it's about the compliance of a document with some specific rules.


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## pieanne

DaveBowman said:


> Ouh là , oui... Merci pieanne, définitivement mal réveillé moi, aujoud'hui...
> 
> "Une possibilité non négligeable" serait peut-être une bonne traduction


Dave, sorry again!
"more than remote" is not "non négligeable", it's the opposite!
(How about a strong coffee?)


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## catay

une autre suggestion:  peut-être, "plus qu'une faible possibilité"


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## pieanne

Ce serait alors une possibilité "plus que faible"


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## catay

pieanne said:


> Ce serait alors une possibilité "plus que faible"


Merci, Pieanne et étant donné la phrase originale, ça marche bien?


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## AnnaScott

La traduction de Catay me semble être la plus proche de ce qui semble vouloir être exprimé. 

Merci à tous pour votre précieuse aide.


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## pieanne

Don't really know, Catay... There's no original sentence...  just these few words...


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## DaveBowman

Is it?

I mentally struggled with that actually... And still am...



> Remote Likelihood: Has the same meaning as the term remote                  used in Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement                  of Financial Accounting Standards No 5:
> Probable – The chance of the future event is likely.
> Reasonably possible – The chance of the future event                    is more than remote but less than likely.
> Remote – The chance of the future event is slight.
> The likelihood that an event is “more than remote”                  occurs when it is either reasonably possible or probable that                  the event will happen.



While you decide what is correct or not, I'm gonna shoot for that coffee anyways


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## AnnaScott

If I find the context, I promise I'll give it to you. Anyway it helps me a lot


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## pieanne

No, "more than remote" is "remoter than remote", thus still further away from the "possible" field.


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## pieanne

OK, you're all French, so
more than remote is "plus qu'éloigné(e)"; "plus que petite", cad "minuscule"


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## AnnaScott

Vittel and DaveBowman, that's exactly what I was looking for as it's actually in a financial context. 

Thanks again


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## pieanne

I still think that "more than remote" doesn't equal to "better than remote"


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## DaveBowman

pieanne said:


> No, "more than remote" is "remoter than remote", thus still further away from the "possible" field.



That's one way to look at it. It could (and is when in financial context -- I googled the expression to check) mean greater than remote or "more possible than remote".


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## catay

> The likelihood that an event is “more than remote” occurs when it is *neither* (either) reasonably possible *nor (*or) probable that the event will happen.


Just for the record, I think there's a typo here. The word should have been "neither" rather than "either"


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## vittel

Really? Can a native confirme that? Because the source of DaveBowman's looks like a reliable one: http://www.aicpa.org/audcommctr/spotlight/SOX_Section_404.htm

Quite confusing 

Edit: yes, sorry Annascott, i deleted my post because somebody else had posted the link while I was writing it.


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## vittel

catay said:


> Just for the record, I think there's a typo here. The word should have been "neither" rather than "either"



Oh, alright then!


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## catay

vittel said:


> Oh, alright then!


I just added this, because this "faute de frappe" or mistake entirely changes the meaning.  I had a look at the link and, yes, the word "either" was used.


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## Kelly B

More than remote is used by some anglophones to mean beyond remote, but by others to mean better than remote. Everybody is correct.

Edit: I admit that my first reaction was similar to Dave Bowmans: non-négligeable. But the question remains open, in my opinion.


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## pieanne

I feel that if you say
"There's more than remote likelihood that..." then it would mean "the likelihood is better than remote"
But with "It's a more than remote likelihood that ...", then it's worse than remote
What do you think?


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## AnnaScott

As it was actually used in a financial context, I think that the definition given by DaveBowman and Vittel was the one which corresponds to my search

Remote – The chance of the future event is slight.The likelihood that an event is “more than remote” occurs when it is either reasonably possible or probable that the event will happen


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## RuK

In case you're polling Anglophones, to me a "more than remote possibility" is closer to realization than a "remote possibility", but still far from "probable". It's not "more remote than remote". I can see the confusion, but that's how I read it.


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## pieanne

Out of sheer curiosity, how would you express "more remote than remote", using "remote"?


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## watergirl

RuK said:


> In case you're polling Anglophones, to me a "more than remote possibility" is closer to realization than a "remote possibility", but still far from "probable". It's not "more remote than remote". I can see the confusion, but that's how I read it.



Yes, I also agree, but it definitely gave me pause.


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## watergirl

pieanne said:


> Out of sheer curiosity, how would you express "more remote than remote", using "remote"?



I'd say "extremely remote."


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## pieanne

Thank you, Watergirl!


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## AnnaScott

When I post this question I couldn't imagine that there would be so many nuances in the translation of this expression.


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## RuK

pieanne said:


> Out of sheer curiosity, how would you express "more remote than remote", using "remote"?



- an infinitesimally remote possibility?


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## pieanne

LOL! Thank you, Ruk!


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## Tresley

RuK said:


> In case you're polling Anglophones, to me a "more than remote possibility" is closer to realization than a "remote possibility", but still far from "probable". It's not "more remote than remote". I can see the confusion, but that's how I read it.


 
I understand this to mean the same as RuK.

Consider this:

"There is a *less* than remote possibility that I will win the EuroMillions lottery, because I *never* buy a ticket"

"There is a *more* that remote possibility that I will win the EuroMillions lottery, because I *always* buy a ticket".

What do you think?

As for the French way of saying this???


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## pieanne

I'm still thinking of a way to express that in French, but as to my French understanding, I'm afraid it's exactly the contrary!
1- the possibility is less than remote > is not as remote as one might think
2- the possibility is more than remote > is much more remote ...


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## RuK

une infime possibilité ? plutôt qu'une lointaine possibilité? ou le contraire?


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## Kelly B

Beyond remote comes to mind, but it isn't particularly smooth.


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## DaveBowman

No typo involved. Just google "more than remote likelyhood", you'll find various similar use of it in apparently financial contexts...


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## pieanne

"Likel*y*hood"? :S
(speaking of typos)


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## yosemite

Tresley

Re: "more than remote likelihood*"* 
Quote:
Originally Posted by *RuK*

In case you're polling Anglophones, to me a "more than remote possibility" is closer to realization than a "remote possibility", but still far from "probable". It's not "more remote than remote". I can see the confusion, but that's how I read it.

I understand this to mean the same as RuK.

Consider this:

"There is a *less* than remote possibility that I will win the EuroMillions lottery, because I *never* buy a ticket"

"There is a *more* that remote possibility that I will win the EuroMillions lottery, because I *always* buy a ticket".

What do you think?

Tresley, I think you have put forward the most cogent argument thus far with your illustration which makes misunderstanding of the meaning of phrase under consideration a less than remote likelihood.

If you are a regular punter of EuroMilions and you should happen to win, don't forget that I supported you

Good luck to us in the next draw!


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## catay

Kelly B said:


> More than remote is used by some anglophones to mean beyond remote, but by others to mean better than remote. Everybody is correct.
> 
> Edit: I admit that my first reaction was similar to Dave Bowmans: non-négligeable. But the question remains open, in my opinion.


Yes, Kelly B, thanks for highlighting the ambiguity of this expression....I was thinking along the lines of your first example, "beyond remote", but, yes, I see how it is also used to suggest "better than remote"... I also agree with Ruk, that it is "still far from probable".


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