that dog won't hunt

[wildan1]

This is a very folksy regional southern US expression that means "that plan or approach isn't workable."

President Bill Clinton, who comes from Arkansas, frequently used the expression with the press to describe unworkable policy ideas while he was president, so it has become more broadly used in the US (or at least in Washington!) than most other similar expressions.

Anything similar in French?

All I can think of is Ça va se casser la gueule

 

[klodaway]

"ce plan ne pourra pas marcher/fonctionner"

"ce plan est voué à l'échec"

klod-

 

[david314]

Or as the advertising executives used to say: " That won't fly in Peoria. "

 

[wildan1]

"ce plan ne pourra pas marcher/fonctionner"

"ce plan est voué à l'échec"

klod-

ce plan est voué à l'échec rend parfaitement le sens --this plan is doomed to failure--mais manque la saveur du terroir de ce régionalisme du sud-ouest (Texas-Arkansas) américain...

Y a-t-il une tournure réflétant la France profonde quelque part...?

 

[Albert 50]

I'm focusing on the word "folksy"... Nothing specific comes to mind but I've heard the following which might be considered a tad "folksy":

1 Son plan risque de tomber à l'eau.
2. Son plan risque de frapper un mur (un canadianisme?)
3. Son plan va sûrement mourir de sa belle mort....

Cordialement
Albert

 

[mickaël]

Not folksy, but familiar and quite common: "son plan est foireux"

 

[carolineR]

the image (that dog won't hunt) sounds much better and funnier in English than in French !
ce plan est foireux
ça va se casser la gueule
c'est paumé d'avance
ce n'est même pas la peine d'essayer
are all colloquial, but ne fleurent pas bon le terroir

Or as the advertising executives used to say: " That won't fly in Peoria. "

What's wrong with Peoria ?

 

[david314]

the image (that dog won't hunt) sounds much better and funnier in English than in French !
ce plan est foireux
ça va se casser la gueule
c'est paumé d'avance
ce n'est même pas la peine d'essayer
are all colloquial, but ne fleurent pas bon le terroir
What's wrong with Peoria ?

Au contraire, everything is right in Peoria. In the advertising world, Peoria Il is considered your ideal, average American town to test market new products. If your product doesn't fly in Peoria, then don't try selling it in another town -it won't work. Peoria is the benchmark / le critière, le norme. Got it?

 

[archijacq]

ce plan est un coup d'épée dans l'eau
ça ne va pas casser trois pattes à un canard (pretty useless)
ça va tourner en eau de boudin