it was pretty smooth, if I do say so myself

[suzilou]

Une homme fait sa demande en mariage et interroge l'élue de son coeur sur sa décision.Elle répond:"tu m'as fait la plus gentille et la plus tendre offre..." et il l'interrompt en disant:"And it was pretty smooth,if I do say so myself."
Je ne vois pas comment adapter smooth dans cette phrase.

 

[Itisi]

c'était plutôt bien tourné

 

[guillaumedemanzac]

smooth means (slang) cool behaviour, subtle and sexy - so he is boasting that he proposed to her is a very smooth/cool way - a bit ironic as her phrase implies that she's going to say no to his proposition!!!!! not so smooth after all and not as smooth as he thought he was!!!!

In French? Itisi!

or in Franglais "Oui, c'était bien cool, non!"

 

[Itisi]

I don't understand it as slang. In thefreedictonary.com, we have:

10. elegant, easy, or polished: a smooth manner.
11. ingratiatingly polite; suave: a smooth talker.

 

[petit1]

"Et on peut dire que j'y ai mis les formes, non?"

 

[guillaumedemanzac]

I don't understand it as slang. In the free dictonary.com, we have:

10. elegant, easy, or polished: a smooth manner.
11. ingratiatingly polite; suave: a smooth talker.

but context tells us that HE thinks he's doing 10.
and SHE (and I ) think he's definitely doing 11.

A line from a pop song of the 80s ------ Smooooth operator, he's a smooooth operator .... meaning he's suave, cool, (in modern usage: "He's a player!")

(who sang that?)

 

[Itisi]

but context tells us that HE thinks he's doing 10, and SHE (and I ) think he's definitely doing 11.

What context?

 

[suzilou]

Je retiens la formule d'Itisi qui correspond le mieux à la scène.Merci à tous.

 

[guillaumedemanzac]

Une homme fait sa demande en mariage et interroge l'élue de son coeur sur sa décision. Elle répond:"tu m'as fait la plus gentille et la plus tendre offre..." et il l'interrompt en disant:"And it was pretty smooth, if I do say so myself."
Je ne vois pas comment adapter 'smooth' dans cette phrase.

@Itisi - the context is that she starts her response saying "You have made the most kind and tender offer ........" = but NO!!!
She is interrupted by the HOMME ( who appears from the typo to be feminine : unE homme ) before she has a chance to refuse him/her!!

 

[Itisi]

guillaume, that's not context, that's interpretation! For all we know, you may be right, but it is an assumption you are making.

 

[suzilou]

but context tells us that HE thinks he's doing 10.
and SHE (and I ) think he's definitely doing 11.

A line from a pop song of the 80s ------ Smooooth operator, he's a smooooth operator .... meaning he's suave, cool, (in modern usage: "He's a player!")

(who sang that?)

Sade

 

[suzilou]

C'est exactement ça,guillaumedemanzac !

 

[Itisi]

Ah, in that case, well done for intuition, guillaume, because you could just as well assume that she was saying, 'how could I refuse such a sweet man'. As far as I am concerned, there was insufficient context, and it's guesswork. (Getting enough context is often like pulling teeth! - don't get me going on that subject...)

 

[guillaumedemanzac]

It's just female intuition, which as you should know is fact 99%.
An Assumption is a religious festival on August 15th when the virgin Mary was assumed into heaven, body and all.
But my logical male hormones tell me Itisi is correct; if she later refuses him then that is enough context; but she was interrupted - another sign that this man is a player, a suave no-gooder who is only after one thing as both suzilou and I assume (correctly! ?).

 

[Itisi]

suzilou doesn't need to assume anything, she has the text.

 

[guillaumedemanzac]

Sorry, too much quote .... rule #6!!!

But the Sade song (thanks to suzilou) explains "smooth operator" very well : "love for sale" -- "his heart is cold" -- "double cross" - the modern American is "He's a PLAYER!" - often pronounced "PLAYA" - smarmy and smooth in 60s slang - not to be trusted.
To me (IMHO) her interrupted phrase : "That was a charming and lovely offer to make me "(the next word has to be .... "BUT...... no!") although I agree that's an assumption - a 'lady' is often not totally honest in this situation - "No way, you smarmy creep!" would be a less hypocritical response but a 'lady' would try to let the suitor down gently!