Dregs and scum
Two translations exist for the French word racaille (f.): scum and dregs. Although both are used in derogatory language, they actually mean different things. Dregs (collective plural) are “the remnants of a liquid left in a container, together with any sediment or grounds,” whereas scum is “a layer of dirt or froth on the surface of a liquid” (New Oxford American Dictionary). Both are used, sadly, in translating Nicholas Sarkozy’s comment on the recent (and still on-going) riot of Paris suburbs.
3 Responses to “Dregs and scum”
I would like to say that your translation of “racaille” is no more understood this way in modern French.
Today’s general meaning is only derogatory for lower social classes; “riffraff” or in other words “scumbags”.
It is no more a metaphor.
From Beijing the City of many Tomorrows
Hi Emmanuel,
thanks for pointing this out. The translation is actually not mine, but is based on the renderings of different English-language newspapers or magazines. Still, I’m glad to learn how the word actually sounds to native speakers of French.
Racaille today has become a tag for the whole community of ayrab juveniles. What about hoods?