(Serious) Le Terrible, or how slang from the 1930s does not translate well to modern times.

I don't get bent out of shape often (nor start threads on reddit), but as a Francophone, the current meme of doing a literal translation from French to English with this ships name is doing just that.

As most know, languages are in relatively constant flux and are evolving to meet more modern usages. In the case of Le Terrible, it really does not transfer over well to today's world. A literal translation of this name yields "The Terrible", which as I mentioned in my introduction, does work rather well as a meme. However, we need to look at the state of the French language during the 1930s to actually understand the usage of the word "Terrible". Sidebar: even the English entry in Wikipedia messed this up.

Terrible has a dual meaning. On one hand, it's definition is exactly the same as it's English counterpart. On the other, it is a colloquialism, or slang, way of saying that something is "Terrific" or "Invokes Admiration". If we are to use the second definition of the word, then it suddenly fits in with the naming scheme for the rest of the Le Fantasque-class ships (The Extraordinary, The Cunning, The Indomitable, The Audacious and The Triumphant).