# French translation: ''La Cage aux Folles'' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-translation-la-cage-aux-folles/306433 "2005-06-01T20:04:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-translation-la-cage-aux-folles/306433/21 "2005-06-02T18:07:37Z")
There is a lot of poor translation in the titles and subtitles of Satyajit Ray’s movies. In particular, _Apur Samsar_ is translated as _The World of Apu_, which fails to capture most of the meaning of _samsar_ (pronounced “shong-shar”). While it does literally mean “world,” when you speak of a particular person’s samsar, the usual meaning is his adult life, which includes a wife, a separate household, and children. An unmarried man would never be spoken of as having a samsar. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-translation-la-cage-aux-folles/306433/22 "2005-06-02T18:10:36Z")
> [@rwjefferson](#): > > Could this be the basis for “fag”? Nope – that’s derived from “faggot,” (“loose end.”) As a pejorative, it was originally applied to street prostitutes – the association is with literal gutter trash. The yiddish word may have influenced its use, though. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-translation-la-cage-aux-folles/306433/23 "2005-06-02T22:33:11Z")
See [Straight Dope Staff Report: How did “faggot” get to mean “male homosexual”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfaggot.html) The Archives are your friend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-translation-la-cage-aux-folles/306433.md?page=1)