Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
trop de joker
English translation:
many aces left up our sleeve / chances left
Added to glossary by
Brainstorm
Dec 2, 2010 12:58
13 yrs ago
French term
Austria
*Service with a smile!
Native in: English 
, German
Works in: German to English, English to German, German to French, and 51 more.
trop de joker
French to English
Other
Sports / Fitness / Recreation
In an interview with a footballer.
The complete sentence reads: "Mais à nous de gagner le maximum de matches car je pense qu’on a plus trop de joker. "
Joker? Wilcard? We'd appreciate your help. Thank you!
The complete sentence reads: "Mais à nous de gagner le maximum de matches car je pense qu’on a plus trop de joker. "
Joker? Wilcard? We'd appreciate your help. Thank you!
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+4
20 mins
Colin Rowe
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Germany
Par Excellence Translations
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: German to English, French to English, Italian to English, and 3 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
we don't have many aces left up our sleeve / chances left
"je pense qu’on *n'*a plus trop de joker."
i.e. we don't have many jokers/chances left. If we want to do well in this competition, we simply have to start winning a few more matches.
Jokers used figuratively here in a similar context to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". If you can no longer "phone a friend", "ask the audience", "50/50", etc., you have to answer the questions right for yourself.
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Note added at 21 mins (2010-12-02 13:20:16 GMT)
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Nothing to do with wildcards in this particular context.
i.e. we don't have many jokers/chances left. If we want to do well in this competition, we simply have to start winning a few more matches.
Jokers used figuratively here in a similar context to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". If you can no longer "phone a friend", "ask the audience", "50/50", etc., you have to answer the questions right for yourself.
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Note added at 21 mins (2010-12-02 13:20:16 GMT)
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Nothing to do with wildcards in this particular context.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
James Calder
: Definitely "chances" Colin. You'd only used "jokers" in a footballing context to describe the England team.
19 mins
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Good point! Thanks!
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| agree |
Colin Morley (X)
1 hr
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Thanks from one Colin to another!
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| agree |
philgoddard
: Definitely prefer your first suggestion as it preserves the card-playing metaphor perfectly.
2 hrs
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Thanks! Second option essentially a "plain text" explanation of the first.
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| agree |
Verginia Ophof
4 hrs
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Thanks!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you!"
+2
37 mins
Sarah Bessioud
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Works in field
Germany
A way with words
Native in: English (Variants: UK, US, British) 
Works in: German to English, French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
40
running low on trump cards
Another option, often used in football when chances are running low, hope is dwindling and things are looking desperate.
http://football.uk.reuters.com/teams/t413/news/2010/07/07/LD...
Spain still possess all the trump cards
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YJTMp7Z...
York took the lead, making the score 6-5. York now only needed one more victory to take home the trophy. Their pool of players however was drying up, and they were running out of trump cards
http://football.uk.reuters.com/teams/t413/news/2010/07/07/LD...
Spain still possess all the trump cards
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:YJTMp7Z...
York took the lead, making the score 6-5. York now only needed one more victory to take home the trophy. Their pool of players however was drying up, and they were running out of trump cards
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
amanda solymosi
: I don't see a problem with this, matches the French version more accurately.
2 hrs
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Thank you Amanda
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| agree |
philippe vandevivere
: definitely
4 hrs
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-1
1 hr
substitute/replacement
I really am not sure about this at all - but it may mean a substitute or replacement player - I am thinking of the context of TF1 at the moment (see refs.) where Harry Roselmack is the 'joker' for Laurence Ferrari, the regular news reader on TF1. I have also included a ref. to the joker needed for Rennes - that is a football context. (Another below.)
www.eurosport.fr/football/ligue-des-champions/2010-2011/nou...
www.eurosport.fr/football/ligue-des-champions/2010-2011/nou...
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
David Goward
: "Joker" has 2 meanings, a new recruit to replace an injured player being one of them. The Eurosport link however uses the term in the same way as the Q, i.e. being in a position where the team can afford to lose without affecting their long-term chances.
1 day 32 mins
|
+1
4 hrs
much in reserve
*points or strong players
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Charlie Bavington
: the points lead and games in hand all frittered away such that are left with 1 game in hand and are effectively marking time, as it says. "Reserve" seems decent enough to refer to their fast disappearing advantage they have wasted.
7 hrs
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Thanks, C.
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4 days
Sandra Mouton
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in French
United Kingdom
Efficiency and finesse
Native in: French
Works in: English to French, Russian to French, Latin to French, and 3 more.
not many get out of jail free cards left
This is the idea but I am not sure how it sounds to native ears.
Reference comments
5 mins
Catharine Cellier-Smart
Reunion
Reunion
Native in English
Specializes in field
Reunion
The Smart Solution
Native in: English (Variant: British)
Works in: French to English, Creoles & Pidgins (French-based Other) to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
41
Reference:
wildcard definition in sporting context
"Sports .
of, being, or including an unseeded or unproven participant or team, as a team in a championship tournament that has not placed first in its league or area."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wildcard
HTH
of, being, or including an unseeded or unproven participant or team, as a team in a championship tournament that has not placed first in its league or area."
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wildcard
HTH
2 hrs
Reference:
Context:
"Même si Rennes traverse une période difficile (cinq points pris lors des six dernières journées), vous pouvez redevenir leader en cas de succès au Vélodrome...
Nicolas Douchez : C'est surtout une façon de relativiser la défaite de Lorient. On se fait beaucoup critiquer pour notre jeu, notre revers à Lorient, par ci, par ça... Mais si on gagne notre match en retard, on sera en tête ! Et ce sera notre façon à nous de dire qu'on n'est pas si nuls que ça ! On marque certes le pas, mais on reste dans la course, dans les équipes du haut du classement. On avait un matelas en cas de baisse de forme... Là, on n'a plus trop de joker. A nous de repartir vite de l'avant."
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Note added at 2 heures (2010-12-02 15:54:56 GMT)
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"matelas" = "cushion" of points in hand?
Nicolas Douchez : C'est surtout une façon de relativiser la défaite de Lorient. On se fait beaucoup critiquer pour notre jeu, notre revers à Lorient, par ci, par ça... Mais si on gagne notre match en retard, on sera en tête ! Et ce sera notre façon à nous de dire qu'on n'est pas si nuls que ça ! On marque certes le pas, mais on reste dans la course, dans les équipes du haut du classement. On avait un matelas en cas de baisse de forme... Là, on n'a plus trop de joker. A nous de repartir vite de l'avant."
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Note added at 2 heures (2010-12-02 15:54:56 GMT)
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"matelas" = "cushion" of points in hand?
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Yolanda Broad
: Nice solution.
4 hrs
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Thank you
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| agree |
Charlie Bavington
: I'd be careful how you use "in hand" (usu. = played fewer matches than the rest), but cushion is bang on. They don't have much "joker" left because they have frittered away the points cushion & only have one game in hand.
8 hrs
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| agree |
David Goward
: I like Charlie's suggestion of "frittering away".
22 hrs
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Discussion
To me it's meaning that the team need to pull their finger out and win as many games as possible as they can't rely on factors such as luck, or other results going their way. Depending on context the joker could be translated quite differently. For example if it's off the back of a sneeky own goal then it's luck, if it's another rival team losing unexpectedly then it's results going their way etc.