tinker

bricoler, bidouiller

Essayer de réparer ou d’améliorer quelque chose par de petits changements, souvent sans grande compétence.

En anglais simple : To try to repair or improve something by making small changes, often without much skill.

• He likes to tinker with old radios.
• I tinkered with the settings until the picture improved.
• Have you been tinkering with my bike again?

Comment l'utiliser : tinker with something (She spent the afternoon tinkering with the engine.)

Synonymes : fiddle, experiment

Expressions courantes : tinker with something, tinker with engines, tinker around

travailler comme rétameur

Gagner sa vie en réparant des casseroles métalliques et d’autres objets ménagers.

En anglais simple : To earn a living by repairing metal pots and other household objects.

• He tinkered for a living.
• His father tinkered in villages along the coast.
• She learned to tinker by repairing old metal pans.

Expressions courantes : tinker for a living, tinker in villages

bricoleur

Personne qui fait des essais pour fabriquer ou réparer des machines et d’autres objets.

En anglais simple : A person who experiments with making or repairing machines and other objects.

• My grandfather was a keen tinker.
• The tinker built a small engine from spare parts.
• Local tinkers gathered to share their homemade machines.

Synonymes : tinkerer, amateur mechanic

Expressions courantes : an amateur tinker, a skilled tinker

rétameur ambulant

Personne qui allait de lieu en lieu pour réparer des casseroles métalliques et d’autres objets ménagers.

En anglais simple : A person who traveled from place to place repairing metal pots and other household objects.

• The tinker repaired our pan.
• A traveling tinker visited the village each spring.
• People brought their broken metal pots to the tinker.

Synonymes : itinerant tinsmith

Expressions courantes : a traveling tinker, the village tinker

coquin, chenapan

Personne espiègle, surtout un enfant, qui fait de petites bêtises.

En anglais simple : A playful person, especially a child who causes small amounts of trouble.

• You little tinker!
• That cheeky tinker hid my glasses again.
• The children were lovable tinkers who kept everyone busy.

Synonymes : rascal, scamp

Expressions courantes : little tinker, cheeky tinker

bricolage, petit réglage

Tentative de réparer ou d’améliorer quelque chose par de petits changements.

En anglais simple : An attempt to repair or improve something by making small changes.

• I’ll have a tinker with it.
• A quick tinker got the radio working again.
• She gave the engine a tinker before calling a mechanic.

Comment l'utiliser : have a tinker with something (Let me have a tinker with your bike.)

Synonymes : adjustment, repair attempt

Expressions courantes : have a tinker, a quick tinker, give something a tinker