Casse-toi, pauvre con...

Sarko is rude - but how to translate it into English? At some agricultural fair in France he offers his hand to a farmer, who tells him: "Don't besmirch me with your touch!" to which the Premier replies: "Casse-toi alors, casse-toi alors pauvre con."

The BBC translates this as "Get lost then you bloody idiot, just get lost!", which it says is a "mild" translation. Apparently some bloggers prefer "sod off" and have gone so far as to translate it as "fuck off, asshole" or "fuck you, prick".

I think "sod off" is a bit outmoded - people just don't really say it much these days. The best translation of "Casse-toi" (casser - to break) is perhaps the American "Beat it". It's rude, but it is not a sexually explicit word. I actually think "Get lost" isn't bad at all.

"Pauvre con" translates directly as "Poor fool". In terms of register and the contempt it implies, I think "Prick" is about right in a UK context, "Prick" or "Asshole" would be fine in the US.

Final versions - "Get lost, prick!" (UK) and "Beat it, asshole!" (US).

Knew that French degree would count for something one day...