Comments on: Stealing from the French http://englishisweird.com/stealing-from-the-french/ Clever tricks to conquer the quirks of English Mon, 03 May 2010 23:47:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: massimo http://englishisweird.com/stealing-from-the-french/#comment-33 massimo Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:00:20 +0000 http://englishisweird.com/?p=20#comment-33 There are similar examples in other languages as well. For example, the Russian for barber/hairdresser is <em>parikmakher</em> (<em>парикмахер</em>), from German <em>Parückenmacher</em> "wig-maker". However, the German use a French word <em>Friseur</em> for a barber, while the French themselves use another word, <em>coiffeur</em>. So, the Russians use a German word, the Germans use a French word, and the French use another French word! There are similar examples in other languages as well. For example, the Russian for barber/hairdresser is parikmakher (парикмахер), from German Parückenmacher “wig-maker”. However, the German use a French word Friseur for a barber, while the French themselves use another word, coiffeur. So, the Russians use a German word, the Germans use a French word, and the French use another French word!

]]> By: admin http://englishisweird.com/stealing-from-the-french/#comment-16 admin Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:56:31 +0000 http://englishisweird.com/?p=20#comment-16 Ha ha, <em>sac de shower</em>! Ha ha, sac de shower!

]]> By: Tyresias http://englishisweird.com/stealing-from-the-french/#comment-15 Tyresias Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:52:41 +0000 http://englishisweird.com/?p=20#comment-15 This is a great post and list. Might I convince you to add: Douche (just a shower in French versus the short form for douche bag the insult. I've taken to saying sac de shower when I hear that.) Femme (just woman in French but a subcategory of woman in English, one that is particularlly "femmy"/effiminate.) genre (e.g. genre de movie/literature in English versus being used to mean type and gramatical gender) Adieu (literally "to God" inplying you will not see the person again in French versus being used to say goodbye in other contexts in English.) Papa (dad, but I was informed by someone from Texas that it meant grand-father 0_o otherwise I hear it used by upper-middle class folks to give greater respect to their father... ironic given that in French you then use père rather than the informal papa) Touché (touched but used in English to mean that someone made a particularly striken point, especially if it was one against you.) Well I could go on like you could have no doubt, those were just the ones that along with déjà vu and à propos I hear most commonly, to the point that I often which I could strike them from English.) But using them in English essays did earn me a higher mark in high school... when I was in ESL lol This is a great post and list. Might I convince you to add:

Douche (just a shower in French versus the short form for douche bag the insult. I’ve taken to saying sac de shower when I hear that.)

Femme (just woman in French but a subcategory of woman in English, one that is particularlly “femmy”/effiminate.)

genre (e.g. genre de movie/literature in English versus being used to mean type and gramatical gender)

Adieu (literally “to God” inplying you will not see the person again in French versus being used to say goodbye in other contexts in English.)

Papa (dad, but I was informed by someone from Texas that it meant grand-father 0_o otherwise I hear it used by upper-middle class folks to give greater respect to their father… ironic given that in French you then use père rather than the informal papa)

Touché (touched but used in English to mean that someone made a particularly striken point, especially if it was one against you.)

Well I could go on like you could have no doubt, those were just the ones that along with déjà vu and à propos I hear most commonly, to the point that I often which I could strike them from English.) But using them in English essays did earn me a higher mark in high school… when I was in ESL lol

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