Victoria Britten (asker) May 29, 2013:

@Helena Thanks for your contributions, but would like to say that I chose Tony's answer not because it was the best of a bad lot but because it fitted perfectly in the context (see my grading comment). I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I was looking for a slogan; luckily for me, Tony had - with his customary flair - understood precisely what I wanted, and I closed the question (some time ago!) because I needed look no further.

Carol Gullidge May 29, 2013:

@ Tony de nada!

Tony M May 29, 2013:

@ Carol Thanks for your kind comment! :-)

Carol Gullidge May 29, 2013:

@ Helena as mentioned on another recent posting, English is a very nuanced language, rarely to be taken at face value, and context is everything. As is being a native speaker, having a natural feel for it that I fear can only extremely rarely be acquired by non-native speakers. To the extent that, in general, the nitty-gritty is best left to the natives to sort out. Believe me, Tony is right about this. End of.

Tony M May 29, 2013:

@ Helena Yes, I do believe they are completely and utterly wrong... in the specific context here!

I am perfectly well aware of the meanings of both terms, so I don't need to go and look in any dictionary; but I am also very familiar with how they are used in natural, idomatic EN, which instinct is what tells me they couldn't possibly, ever, work here.

papier May 29, 2013:

Still on the well selected answer:
"The right language" works better as a slogan than "(...)just the right language".

papier May 29, 2013:

Tony,
Do you believe they are wrong?
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discourse
Discourse on the Method - by Descartes

papier May 29, 2013:

Don´t fear what you don't know about, Vitoria.

Victoria Britten (asker) May 29, 2013:

@Tony Spitting in the wind, I rather fear...

Tony M May 29, 2013:

@ Helena Slogan or not, informal or not, neither 'speeches' not 'discours' (sic) would be at all natural or idiomatic in EN in this sort of context.

papier May 28, 2013:

Nikki
I suppose the asker is looking for a kind of slogan. So "the right word", like used by the Bible for those who believe in religious texts, is a choice. As for "speeches", they are most usually written before being spoken. But "discours" may perhaps also work although I find it a somehow more academic term and maybe not very adequate for a colloquial communication as a slogan must be.

Tony M May 28, 2013:

@ Helena "the right speech" wouldn't I'm afraid be right here in EN; it's just not natural to use 'speech' in this way; 'speech' is either the faculty of being able to speak ('speech is unique to Man'), or the manner in which one speaks ('his speech was slurred'); or it is a discourse given to an assembled gathering ('the best man gave a long speech') — or a section of an actor's performance in a play etc.

If one means the words that are spoken (in a film or something), then we usually call it dialogue ('the quickfire dialogue between the two gansters...'); or a discourse given in a more informal way might be a 'talk' (The captain gave her team a morale-boosting talk')

I don't think any of these meaning or synonyms would really be terribly natural in the given context.

As for your second suggestion, however we choose to interpret 'word', I'm not convinced that 'exact' quite conveys the right idea; it might be 'exactly the right word', but I think there's a nuance of meaning between that and 'the exact word'.

papier May 28, 2013:

I have two suggestions for you but I cannot answer once I don't pay ProZ.com.
1 _ The right speech. (Verb in French means more than one term)
2 _ The exact word (Word in the sense of preaching)
I myself prefer the first one.

Nikki Scott-Despaigne May 28, 2013:

Suggested answer : "hitting the right note" Howabout the firm's conviction that "hitting the right note" is te key to success.
Fellow musicians, please excuse the pun!

ormiston May 28, 2013:

approval from respected peers And the chance to offer some help is all I seek!

Victoria Britten (asker) May 28, 2013:

Oops - you live and learn ...and I honestly can't say exactly what made me tick the "members-only" box. Well, that's a mistake I won't make again!

writeaway May 28, 2013:

Proving yet again that there is no rapport between translation skill and the ability/willingness to pay for membership. This used to happen a lot in the past and ended up blocking some very fine people from posting their help.

ormiston May 28, 2013:

I fear It is because I am no longer a Member and your question is directed at Members Only!

Victoria Britten (asker) May 28, 2013:

@Ormiston I'm bothered that you can't post that very good suggestion as a reply. Is there a message saying why?

ormiston May 28, 2013:

no pun intended I meant to write "spot on"!

Carol Gullidge May 28, 2013:

ormiston sounds good to me!

ormiston May 28, 2013:

I seem unable to post my suggestion I wonder if "compelling copy" would hit the spit ?

Carol Gullidge May 28, 2013:

OK, perhaps something like
"Wow them with words" or "Words with the wow factor"...??

Victoria Britten (asker) May 28, 2013:

Fair questions! Tony's answer is closest to the meaning I'd give it but I would ideally like something a bit snappier. Also, the quotes in the original bother me: obviously they CAN be done away with, but I can't help feeling the urge to find something which is neatly encapsulated in a similar way. I guess if I had to give a translation here and now it would be 'the right language', but although that's not miles off it sounds a bit weak to my ears in comparison to the original.
BTW, I very much appreciate all your efforts!

Carol Gullidge May 28, 2013:

@ Victoria, re meaning well, I suppose we all know what it means at face value. But with your insight into the text, what is your understanding of the message they're trying to get across?
To save us going on a wild goose chase, what ideas of your own have you already rejected?

writeaway May 28, 2013:

Well, it can mean several things Agree, it's not difficult but it can mean a number of things, although one has to see the French in context to know where they are actually going with it. What do you think it means?

Victoria Britten (asker) May 28, 2013:

Context I really have given what I can. As I have said, this is the website pitch for a company of communications consultants; at this point they are explaining their ethos. I know what the blessed thing MEANS, I just can't hit on what feels like the most apt English way of expressing it.

writeaway May 28, 2013:

Biblically speaking Le Verbe means The Word. But there isn't enough context as to type of product/service, register, style of the actual French text etc, so it's anyone's guess at least as far as the rest of us are concerned.

Victoria Britten (asker) May 28, 2013:

Extra info I'm sorry, I didn't make it clear that "verbe juste" is in quotes in the source text. A rough translation of the context would be 'we are convinced that "le verbe juste" is best means to ...".