Lewis_Moon

The Paramount needs to be "branded" and I don't want to pay Waterford for their decals (OK, I'll say it: I'm cheap). I thought I'd get some vinyl decals cut instead. Does tête du marteau mean anything untoward in the french language? It's a computer translation of an old nickname/rep I had when I raced. Now that I'm old and fat I thought I'd use it as a reminder of where I'd like to be again.

Rouleur's been done to death.

RyleyinSTL

Your safe...

mikemowbz

'Tête du marteau" means what it sounds like it means:

https://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/co...snumber=83-9-2

Literally, head of a/the hammer, a 'hammer head'. The shark referred to in English as a 'hammer-head' is a 'requin-marteau'.

The former doesn't exactly sound 'fast', but it won't be likely to cause too much snickering among the legions of French (or Québecois) tourists who no doubt flock to Gold Canyon, AZ, to look at your bike. Bemusement, perhaps, but not likely snickering - there is no double-entendre that I am aware of. Though I suppose that the expression 'hammer-headed' in English isn't very flattering.

What's the story with the nickname?

CMAW 

Tête de marteau

Appropriate if the shape of your head is a little peculiar, I guess.

stevenc

i think "Tête de marteau" is more correct. I find it hard to explain, but I'll try: one would use 'de' if no particular 'marteau' is involved. Using 'du' would imply that this is the head of some hammer in particular.

Compare to (ok, strange comparison maybe) 'tête de veau' (veal's head, the stuff the eat in France) vs. 'tête du veau' (head of the calf, as used in the sentence, "there's a fly on that calf's head").

Wat does this have to do with bikes again?

Lewis_Moon

When I rode, "Hammerhead" meant basically the same thing as "Rouleur". Someone who could take long, hard, fast pulls and generally liked to go fast.
To "hammer" meant to go hard and fast...

Hammerhead was not always a term of endearment...especially when people wanted to do an easy ride.

Citoyen du Monde

How about Marteleur which is more correctly a Hammersmith in English but does have the same ending as Rouleur. I have also heard some francophone cyclists use the verb marteler in the same sense as to hammer according to your definition.

mikemowbz

I like it! Like this guy:


- bronze cast, copy of 'Le marteleur' by Constantin Meunier

side.g

Tête du marteau -> Head of the hammer
Tête de marteau -> Hammer Head

Je parle francais

Lewis_Moon

Very nice! Mind if I use it?

mikemowbz

Just 'tête marteau' (as in 'vis tête marteau' or 'vis à tête marteau) is routinely used when referring to hammer-head screws/bolts, too, BTW.
Could work, too.

stevenc and side.g correctly point out that 'du' implies reference to a specific object rather than a general one.
I kind of obfuscated that point, I admit.

'Marteleur' still gets my vote. Significantly more comprehensible, and rolls out just sounding cooler.

Another thought, adding to the above, while I'm busy overthinking this: 'tête de marteau', while it doesn't carry this possible usage/connotation in French as far as I'm aware, is so close in form to expressions such as 'tête de cochon' (hard-headed or disagreeable, literally 'pig-headed'), that in the context you propose to use it, I might, on first sight, read it as 'hammer-headed' rather than as 'hammer head'. 'Hammer-headed' in English (the insult makes an appearance in Dirty Harry) basically means hard-headed or 'thick', of course.

Hence I tend to think that Citoyen du Monde points in a productive direction...really fits with your description of how 'Hammerhead' came to stick as a nickname back in the day.

Anyhew.

EDIT: I see Lewis_Moon hardly needed the further convincing!

Citoyen du Monde

Please do!

Italuminium

To add to Cit's suggestion, I'd like to point out that marteler is remarkably close Dutch to the verb martelen - torturing! (this is an example of false etymologie by the way - a so called false friend). We all know the rouleurs that endlessly torture the peloton by pulling the pack in beastly stride...

rootboy 

now ....what was that about decals ?

Lewis_Moon

Ordered soon!