On the radio, a man spoke about how to avoid suffering from allergies this season. One of his recommendations was to close the windows. He said:
Fermez vos fenêtres. C’est plate à dire…
Nobody wants to keep their windows shut during summer weather. That’s why he says it’s plate to make the recommendation of closing them.
In this sense, plate (also spelled platte) means too bad, no good, etc. We can translate c’est plate as that stinks, that sucks, that’s too bad.
Fermez vos fenêtres. C’est plate à dire…
Close your windows. It stinks to [have to] say [it]…
Remember that plate is an informal usage, in the same way that stinks is in English.
C’est plate à dire, mais c’est comme ça.
Sucks to say, but that’s how it is.
C’est platte à dire, mais t’aurais dû rester ici.
Sorry to say, but you shoulda stayed here.
