French base toupie

[Maîtreaupôle]

In the Word Ref dictionary, an example of "toupie" used in the sentence "Le béton est transporté dans une toupie" is given as, "The cement is moved into the drum." To me, this makes little sense.

It's unlikely, but it could be a mistaken way of saying, "The cement is poured into the cement mixer" using "béton" when one means "ciment".

However, I would guest it means, "The concrete is moved about [on site, perhaps] in a cement-mixer." I wonder if it might also be a way of saying "The concrete is transported in a concrete mixer truck." This would be where "camion toupie" is shortened simply to "une toupie"; that is, if "camion toupie" is commonly so abbreviated in, say, spoken French.

 

[DrD]

Hello,

Thank you for your message. I think you may be right. However, I'll admit the meaning isn't immediately obvious to me (I'm not very familiar with the details of cement mixing or how it's moved about on site), so I'm going to ask the French base to check the sentence. If the sentence is using 'toupie' to mean 'camion toupie', then it is perhaps not the best example.

@Lacuzon : peux-tu m'aider à comprendre précisement ce qui se passe dans cette phrase, stp ?

 

[Kelly B]

Le béton est malaxé dans une toupie
...is mixed in a revolving drum (or the revolving drum of the truck)

 

[DrD]

Yes - that would definitely be a sentence that would translate more readily into English!

 

[Maîtreaupôle]

Yes - that would definitely be a sentence that would translate more readily into English!

That's true, but it misses the element of the concrete being taken (transporter) somewhere, which the original sentence in French states quite clearly.

 

[DrD]

The sentence doesn't have to be that. It needs to be a sentence that provides a good example of 'toupie' in use. I'm not very sure that the current sentence does that, but the French base will be able to confirm either way. If it's not a good example, the French sentence can be changed.

 

[Maîtreaupôle]

The sentence doesn't have to be that. It needs to be a sentence that provides a good example of 'toupie' in use. I'm not very sure that the current sentence does that, but the French base will be able to confirm either way. If it's not a good example, the French sentence can be changed.

Yes, good point.

 

[Lacuzon]

Bonsoir,

OK, I will modify the sentence.