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It was weeks before I learned the ropes–and now that tenderfoot has done the same thing in a matter of days! Where does that leave me, hm!?

To express this idea in French, in conversation I said jokingly:

Il m'a fallu des semaines pour prendre le pli... et voilà le blanc-bec qui y parvient en seulement quelques jours ! Je ne sais pas quoi en penser ?!

This colloquial, rhetorical English phrasing is essentially used to say:

  • I feel as if I've been overshadowed by a novice, which puts me in an unfavourable light.

How is this idea effectively expressed in French?

3 Answers 3

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When you want to convey the idea of being overshadowed, you can say:

J'ai l'air de quoi, moi, maintenant ?!

It means that you look bad compared to the other person, but also that you feel kind of ashamed because of that. When with a friend, a common answer (meant to tease) to that rhetorical question is: "... d'un idiot, pardi !" :)

1

On peut insister sur le syllogisme sous-jacent (un novice y arrive ; or je n'y arrive pas ; donc je suis encore moins capable qu'un novice) comme ceci :

Ça m'a pris des semaines d'apprendre le métier — et voilà que ce blanc-bec y parvient en quelques jours! Qu'est-ce que je suis censé en conclure, hein ?

0

I would say like that :

- Et moi, dans tout ça?

- Où est-ce que ça m'amène?! Hein?

- Où cela me mène-t-il ?

- Quel est le sens de tout ça?!

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