Flying a desk

femuse · 12-03-2004, 01:05 AM

NO, nothing to do with sorcerers and the like :D . It's a very common expression - used like this:

"A friend of ours is a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel.
No wonder he does not brag too much about his military carreer: during the Vietman war, he was flying a desk in Syracuse, NY." [true story

]

I don't remember a similar French expression. What about in other languages ?

LOCONNOR · 12-08-2004, 09:04 AM

But what does it mean?

jackspeese · 12-10-2004, 03:01 PM

It means that he has a desk job rather than a more glamorous, exciting job as, say, a fighter pilot...and unfortunately this expression is often used in a derogatory sense, implying that the guy isn't capable of doing anything else, such as being a fighter pilot.

egueule · 02-19-2005, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by femuse

NO, nothing to do with sorcerers and the like :D . It's a very common expression - used like this:

"A friend of ours is a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel.
No wonder he does not brag too much about his military carreer: during the Vietman war, he was flying a desk in Syracuse, NY." [true story

]

I don't remember a similar French expression. What about in other languages ?

My, you are a very bright one-year-old, Femuse!
Seriously, though, this is a great expression! In French we say that sort of person is "un rond-de-cuir" (literally, a circular piece of leather that civil servants used to place on their office chair to make it more comfy) or "planqué dans un bureau" ("stashed away in an office").

12-03-2004, 01:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
femuse Senior International Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 209 femuse is an unknown character at this point	Flying a desk NO, nothing to do with sorcerers and the like :D . It's a very common expression - used like this: "A friend of ours is a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel. No wonder he does not brag too much about his military carreer: during the Vietman war, he was flying a desk in Syracuse, NY." [true story ] I don't remember a similar French expression. What about in other languages ?
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12-08-2004, 09:04 AM	#2 (permalink)
LOCONNOR Senior International Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: UK Posts: 107 LOCONNOR is an unknown character at this point	But what does it mean?
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12-10-2004, 03:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
jackspeese International Forum Fan Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 497 jackspeese is on a distinguished road	It means that he has a desk job rather than a more glamorous, exciting job as, say, a fighter pilot...and unfortunately this expression is often used in a derogatory sense, implying that the guy isn't capable of doing anything else, such as being a fighter pilot.
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