Literal translation
to go/end up at the dates
Meaning
to fall back on some menial, poorly paid job
Explanation
To fall back on some miserable little job, and by extension, to end up badly. Working the dates meant sorting dried dates on an assembly line, a hard, poorly paid job long associated with small hands and so mostly with women. To someone whose life is off to a bad start, people say you'll end up on the dates. In Provençal the word date also carries a cruder image tied to male anatomy, giving the expression a second, implicit meaning for those who know it.