Yesterday on Facebook, I wrote briefly about the French phrase tenir la chandelle (literally to hold the candle), which means to play gooseberry. This got me thinking a little about the French verb tenir, which then led me to think about how it relates to the French word maintenant.
And yes, this is all about French, but in honour of France qualifying for the World Cup Final tonight*, I thought it was time for a little change of pace, and some French-Language Thoughts!™ Continue reading
Look at him there. Look at his face. Look at how happy he is to have his big, important letter. The North Koreans really understand him perfectly: give him a really big letter, in a really big envelope, flatter him, make him feel important.
I was thinking about this word today. I’m not sure what made me think about it. Perhaps, passing a mirror, I noted how nonchalant I was.
Reading about Anglish yesterday, I realised that one of the most useful methods for proponents of this form of English is creating calques.
What’s a calque, I hear you ask?
No, not English. Anglish.
I don’t know if you know it, but I love the word soupçon. Long before I knew what it meant in French, I just loved the sound of it, and its general cheeky French air.
Stokers, that’s what. Let me explain…
English-Language Thoughts 