doddle

[Pomdapi]

Hi everyone!

Preparing my holidays I found this in my travel guide:

[description of the potential problems when visiting the country] "Otherwise, Ireland is a doddle".

I found that it means something like "Ireland is easy to live or to visit"
How could we translate this word in French? my attempt:
"l'Irlande, c'est du gâteau"
Is this correct? any other suggestion?

Thanks in advance!

 

[paulvial]

à part quelques petit problèmes, l'Irlande c'est merveilleux et accueillant
à part quelques petit problèmes, l'Irlande ça roule comme sur des roulettes
à part quelques petit problèmes, l'Irlande c'est la panacée

 

[Wopsy]

à part quelques petit problèmes, l'Irlande c'est merveilleux et accueillant
à part quelques petit problèmes, l'Irlande ça roule comme sur des roulettes
à part quelques petit problèmes, l'Irlande c'est la panacée

 

[Pomdapi]

Thanks all!
Does doddle has another meaning? (I mean a literal translation) do you know where does this expression come from?

 

[MJSinLondon]

No, I don't think it has any other meaning. It's just used colloquially to mean that something is very easy. I've no idea where the word comes from...

 

[edwingill]

Thanks all!
Does doddle has another meaning? (I mean a literal translation) do you know where does this expression come from?

It means "a very easy task" I do not know its origin

 

[Chris' Spokesperson]

It can also be synonymous with 'dawdle', which is to walk along, slowly, lazily, effortlessly. Anything which can be done effortlessly can be described as a doddle. It's a very, very old word anyway, not sure on etymology, could well be saxon I guess as I can't see a connection with any of the romance or germanic languages.

 

[mgarizona]

Actually the OED only has citations for doddle in this sense back to 1937 where it is listed as slang for "money easily obtained." Etymologically the word seems related to the older 'toddle,' likewise meaning 'to move in short easy steps.'

As for the French, perhaps simple comme tout!

 

[SteveD]

Would "fastoche" do here?

 

[Maurice le difficile]

C'est un charme à visiter

 

[Chris' Spokesperson]

Actually the OED only has citations for doddle in the sense back to 1937 where it is listed as slang for "money easily obtained." Etymologically the word seems related to the older 'toddle,' likewise meaning 'to move in short easy steps.'

As for the French, perhaps simple comme tout!

I'd wandered off to have a look and it seems my Saxon guess was misplaced, it may more likely have a Celtic basis through the Scots, definitely pre-dating 1937 through a gaelic word 'babhdail' meaning 'saunter'. Should have guessed, the 'abhd' sound in gaelic is identical when pronounced in full to the 'awd' sound present in, for instance, 'dawdle'. Accepting regional varieties in gaelic accents could easily account for the existence of 'doddle' and 'dawdle' in the English language, one being a fast prononciation and one being long but both acceptable prononciations in gaelic of 'abhdail' - changing of first letter not being so shocking. Supposition admittedly.

 

[catheng]

Avec l'aide des commentaires des autres, on peut peut être dire :

L'Irelande, c'est sur une jambe (tant c'est facile)

 

[Chris' Spokesperson]

L'Irlande, c'est simple comme bonjour !

Ou si tu veux faire une petite blague: L'Irlande, c'est simple comme 'Dia dhuit' (bonjour en gaélique)

 

[mgarizona]

I'd wandered off to have a look and it seems my Saxon guess was misplaced, it may more likely have a Celtic basis through the Scots, definitely pre-dating 1937 through a gaelic word 'babhdail' meaning 'saunter'. Should have guessed, the 'abhd' sound in gaelic is identical when pronounced in full to the 'awd' sound present in, for instance, 'dawdle'. Accepting regional varieties in gaelic accents could easily account for the existence of 'doddle' and 'dawdle' in the English language, one being a fast prononciation and one being long but both acceptable prononciations in gaelic of 'abhdail' - changing of first letter not being so shocking. Supposition admittedly.

Sorry, there was some Pronoun Trouble in my posting. The 1937 advent (in citation only, surely!) refers to this sense, the one originally under discussion here, that of something being simple, undemanding. As relates to perambulation, obviously much older.

 

[Pomdapi]

Thank you all! very interesting ! I love this kind of threads... mixing etymology and translation trials...

 

[berrac]

It also seems to apply to persons, doesn't it? In a british book, I found: "Otherwise, my mother-in-law is a doddle", which I guess could be translated "À part ça, ma belle-mère est une crème".