enfant terrible on board

March 31, 2008 12:38 AM

I want to make a sign like those nauseating "baby on board" signs. (Um, err. you do have them in your country, don't you?) But I want it so say enfant terrible on board...... or do I ?? this is what I'm talking about

Two part question I guess....
-how could I make this on the computer and print it out? I have paint... but mr taff may have photoshop or something on his work computer.
(i.e. what font, what colour, how do I write in a square, and how do I twirl it....)
- should it be enfant terrible on board, enfant terrible en board, l'enfant terrible en board.... or, um, you get what I'm asking... maximum mirthage...



(If someone feels like whipping one up and emailing it to me, I'd take a photo of it in the back of my crappus old volvo and post it in this thread.... but I don't figure it's something most people would want/have the time to do.)

In advance, possums, I thank you.


Oh, yes... if in fact, they are being sold somewhere, I'm happy to purchase one. I was unable to find one online. If you find one, I'll shut up and you can all resume your normal program.

posted by taff to grab bag (18 comments total)

You're lucky. I have insomnia and photoshop open. It's a dangerous combination. Is this what you're looking for? (Here's the big version

According to apple's dashboard translator, the french is "l'enfant terrible à bord", so that's what I went with.
posted by aristan at 1:00 AM on March 31, 2008

You're incredible! I think that's what I want... .almost. The on/en board part I'm unsure about.

Do you have a second to make it "en board'? Please ignore if this seems ungrateful

Perhaps languagehat or loiseau or a francophile can give us a clue.

But I cannot thank you enough for doing what you've done already.
posted by taff at 1:06 AM on March 31, 2008

The French is correct. (compare)
posted by RavinDave at 1:15 AM on March 31, 2008

usually in French it's 'bébé à bord'

you also wouldn't say 'l'enfant terrible à bord' but just 'enfant terrible à bord' (just like in English, by the way: you wouldn't write 'The baby on board' but just 'baby on board').

Hope that helps.
posted by NekulturnY at 1:16 AM on March 31, 2008

minus the L' (big)
minus the L' & changed to 'en bord' (big)
with the L' & 'en bord' (big)

And I think Taff isn't necessarily going for good French so much as she's going for something an English speaker would recognize as French. 'En Bord' looks more like 'On Board,' though it's horrible French.

But now everyone has a selection to choose from.

Then again, we say 'onboard' when we mean 'inside,' so who are we to talk?
posted by aristan at 1:44 AM on March 31, 2008

Artisan, you are my hero possum. What a kind, sweet, generous chap you are!

I'm leaning towards the enfant terrible one.

I'd love to hear everyone else's thoughts.

Again, Artisan, you're incroyable.


Merky bowcoop!
posted by taff at 1:59 AM on March 31, 2008

I've always wanted to make one:
Baby OVER Board
posted by pivotal at 1:59 AM on March 31, 2008

Mercy Buckets & Silver Platters, to you as well, Taff. The one you picked is the most correct French. Would love to see it on the back of the Volvo!

and Pivotal... your wish, etc etc (big)
posted by aristan at 2:14 AM on March 31, 2008 [1 favorite]

What a cool thread! You are all awesome. Best use of AskMeFi I've seen in forever.
posted by methylsalicylate at 3:35 AM on March 31, 2008

<>

My understanding of the word "terrible" in French has always been to mean "terrific". Someone please tell me I'm wrong- I'm not Quebecoise, but I was educated in Ontario's Early French Immersion until high school.

Granted, "terrific" may be what you're looking for, but somehow I doubt it.
posted by sunshinesky at 7:44 AM on March 31, 2008

from what I understand, The original L'Enfant Terrible wasn't a great/horrid child, but Pierre Charles L'Enfant, who was originally hired to design DC. He went completely over the top, Jefferson fired him and supposedly coined the term.

So, while the phrase is in French, it was coined by an English speaker (if the history I have heard & that Wikipedia recounts is more than just urban legend), so basically it's a bilingual pun.
posted by aristan at 7:57 AM on March 31, 2008 [1 favorite]

It's not to the topic, but backstage in one of the theatres in Boston someone nailed the head, arms and legs of a doll to a piece of wood, in roughly the places they would go if the wood was a body, and labelled the wood "Baby on Board". It was hanging on the stage door for a couple of years, but it disappeared. Maybe someone complained.
posted by vilcxjo_BLANKA at 8:27 AM on March 31, 2008

As a native french speaker, I can comfirm that it should be "Enfant terrible a bord" with an accent grave on the "a". "En bord" sounds very very wrong.
posted by snoogles at 10:00 AM on March 31, 2008

In the nicest possible way, why are they "nauseating"?

I used to find them, not nauseating, but somewhat illogical, before we had a baby.

The classic stand-up routine is "Oh, you have a baby in your car!? Because I was going to drive right into you until I saw that," etc.

Now I hope people can see it as a form of apology for my driving.

Maybe aristan can make one which says

"Sorry if my driving's not perfect. There's a tiny human being in the car with me who is screaming very loudly, smelling very strongly, and also trying to insert a banana into my ear"?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 6:46 PM on March 31, 2008

we need to get Snoogles to check if

"Je fais des excuses si mon piloter non parfait. Il y a un être humain minuscule dans la voiture avec moi qui crie très fort, sentant très fortement, et également essayant d'insérer une banane dans mon oreille."

is proper French, but just in case it is. (big)
posted by aristan at 1:52 AM on April 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

Stay tuned possums.... having printer problems... I haven't forgotten you all.
I WILL post a pikkie.
posted by taff at 5:27 AM on April 2, 2008

And here it is!

click here

Finger crossed this works.

Now I'm just waiting for someone on the street to toot me so I know they're a metafilterer... but when you drive an old volvo you get tooted all the time so maybe I'll never know....

(although I've noticed I get more toots when I drive with my sunhat on. I love wearing it. It's my favourite passive-aggressive "up yours" to all those aggressive drivers who hate Volvos.

I'm a bit childish some times. Perhaps an enfant terrible myself.... sacre bleu!)
posted by taff at 3:24 PM on April 7, 2008

Dear Ambrose....

I guess I should answer you about the nauseating thing now or you'll think I'm a rude old baggage!

I guess I find they're an unnecessary advertisement. Much like you said earlier that the comics say.... but also a bit of a smug response from breeders. Not everybody wants kids, likes kids or tragically, can have them.

I guess I'm just making light of those signs, toddlertaff, my dodgy old volvo and myself.


Holy moly.... just re-read my post and I have guessed a lot, I guess.
posted by taff at 3:34 PM on April 7, 2008