# atta boy



## AdamTheAnt

Hey people! 

How do you translate "atta boy" in french?


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## cropje_jnr

In what context? Is it a master praising his dog, or something else?


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## AdamTheAnt

cropje_jnr said:


> In what context? Is it a master praising his dog, or something else?


 
No this is a man to man conversation:

_"What are you waiting for, an atta boy?" I asked him once._


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## Cath.S.

Dans ce contexte, un _bon petit garçon obéissant_, peut-être ?

Edit

Ah, non,_ je crois_ que j'ai compris, il lui demande s'il attend des compliments, s'il s'attend à ce qu'on le félicite parce qu'il est bien obéissant. Sans le reste du texte, c'est difficile à déterminer.


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## AdamTheAnt

egueule said:


> Dans ce contexte, un _bon petit garçon obéissant_, peut-être ?


 
Uhm...ça peut le faire!  Merci.


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## cropje_jnr

Ou encore des mots d'éloge, peut-être. Ce n'est vraiment pas très clair du tout.


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## marcolo

I didn't find the word "atta" anywhere, except in urbandictionary :

atta:


                    Kiwi/New Zealand slang for sure, whatever


But it doesn't seem to fit to the context. What is this word "atta" ????


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## cropje_jnr

marcolo said:


> I didn't find the word "atta" anywhere, except in urbandictionary :
> 
> atta:
> 
> 
> Kiwi/New Zealand slang for sure, whatever
> 
> 
> But it doesn't seem to fit to the context. What is this word "atta" ????


 
"_'Atta boy!_" is said to a dog in order to praise it by its master. I can't see any other meaning, though.


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## Bunnicula

"Atta boy" is short for "that's my boy!"


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## bloomiegirl

cropje_jnr said:


> Ou encore des mots d'éloge, peut-être. Ce n'est vraiment pas très clair du tout.


C'est bien ça, et appartient au langage informel du bureau [in the office]. <= not quite sure of my French here.


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## Bunnicula

To give someone an "atta boy" = to give someone a pat on the back

Maybe: "Qu'est-ce que t'attends? Une tapote?"


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## le chat noir

I think the sentence is meant to be sarcastic, as if the guy was awaiting a praise like an able dog begging for a lump of sugar.

So I would propose "T'attends quoi ? Un susucre ?"


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## SwissPete

No translation here, but definitions aplenty...


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## bloomiegirl

Regarde-moi ça: WR atta boy.

[Er, I tried to say "lookee here." ]


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## candypole

I was nteresed to read "that's my boy" because I haven't heard that one before. I've always understood 'atta boy', which is certainly used a lot in Australia, to meet "at it boy" - it's used to encourage a dog to do something, like fetch a stick, but also to attack people. With people, it has the same overtones of strong encouragement - good on you, but before a person does something or while they're actually doing it. So, if someone were in a bike race, you might (and I did hear this during the Commonwealth Games) yell 'atta boy' as s/he passed you. Or you might say to a workmate - 'I'm going to ask the boss for a raise' and the workmate might well reply 'atta boy' - sort of like, "that's the right idea". I think the non-colloquial French translation would be allez-y!! but I'm sure more colloquial versions exist.
What do others think?


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## cropje_jnr

candypole said:


> I was nteresed to read "that's my boy" because I haven't heard that one before. I've always understood 'atta boy', which is certainly used a lot in Australia, to meet "at it boy" - it's used to encourage a dog to do something, like fetch a stick, but also to attack people. With people, it has the same overtones of strong encouragement - good on you, but before a person does something or while they're actually doing it. So, if someone were in a bike race, you might (and I did hear this during the Commonwealth Games) yell 'atta boy' as s/he passed you. Or you might say to a workmate - 'I'm going to ask the boss for a raise' and the workmate might well reply 'atta boy' - sort of like, "that's the right idea". I think the non-colloquial French translation would be allez-y!! but I'm sure more colloquial versions exist.
> What do others think?


 
In this context, maybe _bravo !, bien fait !, bien envoyé !_ (?)


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## bloomiegirl

candypole said:


> I was nteresed to read "that's my boy" because I haven't heard that one before. I've always understood 'atta boy', which is certainly used a lot in Australia, to meet "at it boy"  [...]  What do others think?


Most of the online dictionaries seem to give "That's the boy" as etymolgy: Yahoo, Free Dictionary, Encarta, Meriam-Webster.


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## Cath.S.

le chat noir said:


> I think the sentence is meant to be sarcastic, as if the guy was awaiting a praise like an able dog begging for a lump of sugar.
> 
> So I would propose "T'attends quoi ? Un susucre ?"



Je vois que tout comme Cropje tu es d'accord avec ma seconde interprétation. Je propose :

_« Tu veux quoi ? Un bon point ? »_


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## le chat noir

Oui, elle me plaît bien, celle-là !


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## Bunnicula

bloomiegirl said:


> Most of the online dictionaries seem to give "That's the boy" as etymolgy: Yahoo, Free Dictionary, Encarta, Meriam-Webster.


 
You are probably correct with your Aussie etymology. In AE, however, I have never heard "atta boy" used to direct a dog to action. In AE that would be "sick'em!". I have only heard it used as faintly condescending praise for a job well done.

"Tu veux quoi? Un bon point?" seems less colloquial & casual than the English. No?


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## bloomiegirl

Bunnicula said:


> You are probably correct with your Aussie etymology. In AE, however, I have never heard "atta boy" used to direct a dog to action. In AE that would be "sick'em!". I have only heard it used as faintly condescending praise for a job well done.
> 
> "Tu veux quoi? Un bon point?" seems less colloquial & casual than the English. No?


 American! I'm American! (For pity's sake, is my profile for nothing?) And the dog isn't mine either. 

 Furthermore, for my money, "atta boy" doesn't mean "sick 'em." The (ahem) American etymology that I referenced says "That's the boy."

 You - and I - may think it's a condescending term, but the sports-obsessed jocks in corporate offices seem to think they're kinda cool, and maybe even "sharing" when they use it. OK, that happens only rarely.

 I feel better now.


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## Bunnicula

Yes Blommie, or even "that's a (good) boy"!


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## le chat noir

> "Tu veux quoi? Un bon point?" seems less colloquial & casual than the English. No?


I don't think so. "bon points" are small tokens (such as pictures or chocolate coins) given to under 10 children as rewards for good behaviour in school. So maybe it's a bit less sarcastic than my sugar lump variant (assuming you'd rather be addressed as an 8 years old than an able dog), but still heavily patronizing .


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## candypole

I like Eguelue's suggestion - it would appear to me to keep the tone of the original very well. Is it a common French phrase?


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## le chat noir

French people don't spend that much time patronizing each other, you know . But yes, I'd say it's a very casual way of saying.


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## Bunnicula

Well, the who do they spend their time patronizing? :-o


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## candypole

In the context of dogs, atta boy can mean attack, though it's more often used to urge the dog to retrieve sticks etc - also used a lot by cattle and sheepmen when they're getting dogs to round up their animals.

I didn't mean it was used in that way for humans, Bloomiegirl. I think it's not used patronisingly here in Australia, it's use is rather humorous and it's used with people you're friends with.


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## le chat noir

Well yes, among friends you can say things that would be considered rude when talking to strangers. That's what I meant when I said it could be percieved as patronizing.
As context for the original sentence I pictured something like a coach scolding a player after some blunder.


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## wildan1

there's also _attagirl_ (Bloomiegirl, didn't want to leave you out)

I once had a (female) boss who gave out "Attagirl Certificates" when anyone on her staff did something innovative. And no dogs worked in that office....


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## bloomiegirl

wildan1 said:


> there's also _attagirl_ (Bloomiegirl, didn't want to leave you out)
> 
> I once had a (female) boss who gave out "Attagirl Certificates" when anyone on her staff did something innovative. And no dogs worked in that office....



Wildan, my *cat* and I both thank you. Atta boy!


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## le chat noir

I think there might be a slight misunderstanding here, or maybe two interleaved sub-topics stepping on each other's tail .

All the part about the derogatory/patronizing aspect refers to the initial context: some guy saying to another "what did you expect? An atta boy?". 

I'm sure "atta boy/girl" used alone has no such meaning, and can be used without implying any comparison with pets .


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## bloomiegirl

le chat noir said:


> I think there might be a slight misunderstanding here, or maybe two interleaved sub-topics stepping on each other's tail .
> 
> All the part about the derogatory/patronizing aspect refers to the initial context: some guy saying to another "what did you expect? An atta boy?".
> 
> I'm sure "atta boy/girl" used alone has no such meaning, and can be used without implying any comparison with pets .


QUite right. But the derogatory/patronizing remark, I think, was "What did you expect"; not the attaboy. If someone says: "Fool! You expect a gold medal?," gold medals are still worth winning. Likewise for attaboys, even though they generally have no material value. Recognition without compensation.


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## le chat noir

Absolutely. However, the patronize-o-meter will rise even further if you increase the silliness of the reward .

If I managed to grasp this "atta boy" cultural phenomenon, could I say it is on par with, for instance, a gentle praising tap on the shoulder or a fake military salute with a friendly grin?

In that case, I'd say egueule's "bon point" image would be some more sarcastic (like saying "hey you little kid!"), and yours truly's "susucre" a lot more ("hey you dumb dog!").


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