Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
pas de deux
English translation:
a dance invloving a male and a female
Added to glossary by
Fuad Yahya
Feb 5, 2003 14:54
21 yrs ago
1 viewer *
French term
Sandra Shutter
pas de doux
French to English
Art/Literary
Music
Dance
this was on a movie recently, and we are wondering what it means...Is French? was a note from a person who was in New Orleans......
Proposed translations
(English)
Change log
Feb 1, 2006 00:19: Fuad Yahya changed "Field" from "Other" to "Art/Literary" , "Field (specific)" from "(none)" to "Music" , "Field (write-in)" from "wonderment" to "Dance"
Feb 1, 2006 00:19: Fuad Yahya changed "Level" from "Non-PRO" to "PRO"
Proposed translations
+1
2 mins
Selected
a dance invloving a male and a female
literally "dance of two".
It is also used figuratively.
Fuad
It is also used figuratively.
Fuad
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank You SO much....to you all...that was very explanitory and helpful."
+3
5 mins
Hermeneutica
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in English
Switzerland
Accurate, idiomatic value and service
Native in: Spanish 
, English
Works in: Dutch to English, German to English, French to English, and 16 more.
two things: pas de deux and billet doux
If your rendering is accurate, I wonder if (as you mention a note) it is an amalgam of pas de deux, which as Fuad already mentioned is a dance figure, esp. in ballet, where the hero and heroine get to do their twirls together, and a billet doux which is little love note.
Hoping this helps!
Best
Dee
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Note added at 2003-02-05 18:35:34 (GMT) Post-grading
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An additional note just for fun as this is already closed, but if the note in the movie was not nice, there could be a third layer of meaning as in the negative \"pas\" ... \"no sweet\", i.e. while a mix of a love dance and a love not, no love involved .... going Dadaesque here, I know!
Dee
Hoping this helps!
Best
Dee
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Note added at 2003-02-05 18:35:34 (GMT) Post-grading
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An additional note just for fun as this is already closed, but if the note in the movie was not nice, there could be a third layer of meaning as in the negative \"pas\" ... \"no sweet\", i.e. while a mix of a love dance and a love not, no love involved .... going Dadaesque here, I know!
Dee
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Peter Coles
: The best possible answer given that "pas de doux" does not exist.
3 mins
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| agree |
cjohnstone
18 mins
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| agree |
Refugio
: The play on words is what popped into my mind right away too.
26 mins
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| agree |
Sara Freitas
49 mins
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| disagree |
Jonathan Spector
: soft-stepping, but a play on words
2 hrs
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sorry, don't get you?
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+4
10 mins
Endre Both
Germany
Germany
Germany
Seasoned IT expert
Native in: German (Variant: Germany) , Hungarian (Variant: Hungary)
Works in: English to German
pas de doute = without any doubt
Another possibility...
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
cjohnstone
: in the field of egyptology (joke) good idea
14 mins
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| agree |
Nancy Bonnefond
: that's what first came to mind when I read it
1 hr
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| agree |
Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.
: And I've used it for an article written by a composer about his ballet.
3 hrs
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| agree |
lien
: i'll agree with this one
9 hrs
|
+1
12 mins
Daniela McKeeby
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Financial Services Experience
Native in: English , Romanian
Works in: Italian to English, Romanian to English, English to Romanian, and 4 more.
comment for Writeaway
It is not "strictly a ballet term".
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
pas de deux
PRONUNCIATION: dœ
NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. pas de deux
1. A dance for two, especially a dance in ballet consisting of an entrée and adagio, a variation for each dancer, and a coda. 2. A close relationship between two people or things, as during an activity.
ETYMOLOGY: French : pas, step + de, of, for + deux, two.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
pas de deux
PRONUNCIATION: dœ
NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. pas de deux
1. A dance for two, especially a dance in ballet consisting of an entrée and adagio, a variation for each dancer, and a coda. 2. A close relationship between two people or things, as during an activity.
ETYMOLOGY: French : pas, step + de, of, for + deux, two.
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
: a pas de deux can be used metaphorically but it is a classical ballet term that where the 2 comes from in English, sorry
3 hrs
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