Although I strive for clarity in my “Common Errors” writing, I sometimes amuse myself by inserting somewhat obscure jokes in an entry. A example is the article on the spelling of “connoisseur,” which some French people object to because the modern spelling in their language is “connaisseur.”
In the early 19th century (specifically in the 6th edition of the official Dictionnaire de l'Académie française), the spelling of many older words containing an OI was changed to AI. But “connoisseur” entered English before this change took place: it reflects the perfectly correct older spelling.
Spoiler alert: unfunny explanation of joke follows.
I reply to the objections of these French critics: “let ’em eat bifteck.” The latter word is the weird French spelling of the English word “beefsteak.” The sentence of course alludes to the comment famously attributed to Marie Antoinette, who when told that the masses could not get enough bread is supposed to have said “let them eat cake” (actually brioche in the original French). For a detailed discussion of this totally bogus story, see the relevant Wikipedia article.
In my Common Errors in English Usage I discuss many English manglings of French words, but the French are equally prone to play havoc with English words and expressions.
One of the first I ran into when studying French was the word “shampooing” which is used in French where we would use “shampoo,” and pronounced “shampwang.”
There’s an interesting page on French words of English origin in the French Wikitionary from which I’ve taken the following examples, listing the French version first, followed by the English source.
babyfoot
a made-up pseudo-English word for Foosball, table football
bouledogue
bulldog
camping
campsite
footing
jogging
hold-up
military attack
magnat
magnate
overbooké
overbooked
parking
parking lot
pin's
badges
planning (noun)
schedule
poney
pony
pull-over
sweater
record man
record holder
redingote
riding coat
slip
panties
smoking
tuxedo
string
string bikini
talkie-walkie
walkie-talkie
When English or pseudo-English words and expressions are mixed with French the result is called franglais (français + anglais), so I figure its complement should be Engrench.
More amusing examples are included in in a Global Post article “A Beginner’s Guide to Franglais” along with a helpful list of French phrases misused by English speakers.
In the early 19th century (specifically in the 6th edition of the official Dictionnaire de l'Académie française), the spelling of many older words containing an OI was changed to AI. But “connoisseur” entered English before this change took place: it reflects the perfectly correct older spelling.
Spoiler alert: unfunny explanation of joke follows.
I reply to the objections of these French critics: “let ’em eat bifteck.” The latter word is the weird French spelling of the English word “beefsteak.” The sentence of course alludes to the comment famously attributed to Marie Antoinette, who when told that the masses could not get enough bread is supposed to have said “let them eat cake” (actually brioche in the original French). For a detailed discussion of this totally bogus story, see the relevant Wikipedia article.
In my Common Errors in English Usage I discuss many English manglings of French words, but the French are equally prone to play havoc with English words and expressions.
One of the first I ran into when studying French was the word “shampooing” which is used in French where we would use “shampoo,” and pronounced “shampwang.”
There’s an interesting page on French words of English origin in the French Wikitionary from which I’ve taken the following examples, listing the French version first, followed by the English source.
babyfoot
a made-up pseudo-English word for Foosball, table football
bouledogue
bulldog
camping
campsite
footing
jogging
hold-up
military attack
magnat
magnate
overbooké
overbooked
parking
parking lot
pin's
badges
planning (noun)
schedule
poney
pony
pull-over
sweater
record man
record holder
redingote
riding coat
slip
panties
smoking
tuxedo
string
string bikini
talkie-walkie
walkie-talkie
When English or pseudo-English words and expressions are mixed with French the result is called franglais (français + anglais), so I figure its complement should be Engrench.
More amusing examples are included in in a Global Post article “A Beginner’s Guide to Franglais” along with a helpful list of French phrases misused by English speakers.
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