Mickey Mouse company

[blixxi]

Hi all,

I am unable to find a suitable translation for the term 'Mickey Mouse company' in French. Sentence to translate is 'I have never come across such a Mickey Mouse company' to give the context.

I have searched the internet and found nothing though I am sure a similar expression must exist. I can translate it into French to have the same meaning but I am hoping there is a specific term in French to mean the same thing.

Thanks!

Blixxi

 

[Santana2002]

"Mickey Mouse" here signifies that the thing/company is trivial or unimportant. I think I would translate that as "insignifiant"

 

[Kecha]

What does it mean, in what situation would you say that?

 

[blixxi]

It means a company that is a joke, not professional, 'pretending' to be a business or 'playing' at being a business.

I could use 'sans valeur' or 'faire semblant' but they don't feel quite right.

I have just found this (urban) dictionary meaning of the term which explains it fairly well.

mickey mouse
Substandard, poorly executed or organized. Amateurish.
Who's in charge of this mickey mouse operation, anyway?

 

[Kecha]

Une bande de bras cassés (more for the poorly executed part)
Des clowns

 

[jamesk65]

A slang/informal expression which I think is a close equivalent is 'à bricole'. I've heard the 'Crédit Agricole' bank jokingly referred to as the 'Crédit à bricole', meaning useless.

 

[Michelvar]

Une société de bisounours?

EDIT : note that "bisounours" is the French version of the anime "carebears".

 

[blixxi]

I think 'des clowns' could work well...

I love that word 'bisounours' - I have never come across that before. 'Une société de bisounours' - I will do a little research, it sounds like it would fit.

'bricoler' - yes, of course! I have heard that used before to convey the same meaning.

Thanks everyone, now I have some great ideas on what might fit.

[EDIT : Bisounours = Care Bears! Of course, my little one has the book on her bookshelf!]

 

[Uncle Bob]

I think I've read "C'est Tintin et fils" but probably a long time ago.

 

[Kecha]

Bisounours are the Care Bears.

Also "ce sont des rigolos".

 

[ain'ttranslationfun?]

Might "a Mickey Mouse company", "a fly-by-night company", (GB) "a cowboy outfit" be "une bande de fumistes"? Sinon, Kesha's #5, "clowns", does sound good, as blixxi says in #8. Or perhaps simply "Ils ne sont pas sérieux", maybe even "Ils sont légers", not to be taken seriously, "a joke" in EN (blixxi #4).

 

[Oddmania]

Might "a Mickey Mouse company", "a fly-by-night company", (GB) "a cowboy outfit" be "une bande de fumistes"? Sinon, Kesha's #5, "clowns", does sound good, as blixxi says in #8. Or perhaps simply "Ils ne sont pas sérieux", maybe even "Ils sont légers", not to be taken seriously, "a joke" in EN (blixxi #4).

Sure, fumistes sounds good Kecha's suggestions are great: des bras cassés, des clowns. You could also say une compagnie bidon.

Bidon should be taken to mean bad here, not fake/phoney/trumped-up (which is the usual meaning).

 

[pointvirgule]

In Canadian French, we have this expression for a Mickey Mouse company: une compagnie de broche à foin. Too bad it's not usual in the rest of the French-speaking world.

Une société de guignols ?

 

[JeanDeSponde]

Ou encore une société de branquignols pour garder le demi-alexandrin

 

[farodopi]

i would translate by "bande de guignols"

 

[Itisi]

Mickey Mouse outfit n	slang, figurative (business: not serious)	entreprise pas du tout sérieuse nf
	(familier : personne)	charlot nm
	Only an idiot would do business with that Mickey Mouse outfit!

 

[DearPrudence]

Mes préférés :

une société de branquignols

Une société de guignols

"bande de guignols"

"ce sont des rigolos".

des bras cassés, des clowns.

You could also say une compagnie bidon.

Bidon should be taken to mean bad here, not fake/phoney/trumped-up (which is the usual meaning).

Oui, mais justement, je trouve "bidon" trop ambigu. Personnellement, je le comprends comme une fausse entreprise.

Une société de bisounours?

Pour moi, ça ne convient pas. Cela veut dire que les employés, ou du moins la direction, sont (trop) gentils, pas (assez) agressifs.

 

[wildan1]

Ou une boîte à deux balles