OT: A Little Break in the Action. Saniya administered the. . .

[Kibitzer]

. . . coup de grace (correctly pronounced coo-de-grez , not coo-de-graw) to Maryland, and we applauded en masse. Today the team flew, possibly by de luxe charter aircraft and observed Pennsylvania scenery while en route. I have tried to avoid committing a gaffe (or a faux pax?) when awkwardly using these common French phrases here.

Where would we be without a sprinkling of French words and phases to dress up our communication? After all, we dine on French toast, French onion soup, French dressing, French pastry and French fries (except in our nation's capitol, where some dopey Congressman insisted that "freedom fries" be on the menu). Advertisers use faux (instad of "fake" or "phony"). When we dine at a bistro we may scan the menu for a good entree like chateau briande or a dessert like pie a la mode.

The beat goes on. C'est la vie, c'est la guerre, fait accompli.

There must be dozens more. 'Yarders, your turn. Cite some I missed.

[Please don't go overboard on wines, OK?]

GO!

 

[Goodgood]

"Coup de gras" is not French, but "Coup de Grâce" is.

 

[UcMiami]

A personal favorite - Foie Gras
and it does lead to a coup de gras, around my middle!

 

[tomcat]

The one I think is most interesting is lingerie, which someone decided sounded French if pronounced "lawn-ger-ay'" but which actually should be pronounced "lan-ger-ee'" with the n almost silent.

The other badly misused one is chaise longue, (say chayz long) or long chair, which most or all of us mistakenly call a chaise lounge.

Also, I may be mistaken, but I would tend to pronounce coup de grace as coo de graws, rather than coo de grez.

 

[Kibitzer]

The other badly misused one is chaise longue, (say chayz long) or long chair, which most or all of us mistakenly call a chaise lounge.

Also, I may be mistaken, but I would tend to pronounce coup de grace as coo de graws, rather than coo de grez.

Touche! Coo-de-graws is better than coo-de-grez (my bad), but coo-de-gross (rhymes with "toss") might be best. Either are preferable to common (mis)pronunciation: coo-de-graw.

A bouquet to you about "chaise longue", but my ears often hear "chase lounge" from shoppers seeking new patio furniture.

No deja vu from anyone?

 

[Huskies Rule]

Jacques strap.

 

[Kibitzer]

Jacques strap.

C'est ci bon avec elastique.

 

[Huskies Rule]

Schlumberger...NOT as in hamburger but Shlum-Bur-Zhay. [its equity has literally fed and clothed me for 20 years]

 

[Harry Mangurian]

Geno - "Apres Moi, le deluge"

 

[pinotbear]

 

[meyers7]

Don't know much French, besides the Fries. But I do know these two. Not sure what they mean.

Menage a trois

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi (ce soir)?

 

[Harry Mangurian]

Don't know much French, besides the Fries. But I do know these two. Not sure what they mean.

Menage a trois

I think this refers to some sort of triangle defense. It is not used often because it tends to leave you vulnerable to back door lay-ups.

 

[Kaizen]

UConn est le meilleur

 

[hoopingcrane]

I think this refers to some sort of triangle defense. It is not used often because it tends to leave you vulnerable to back door lay-ups.

That would be a triangle offense.

 

[huskyd]

C'est ci bon avec elastique.

Seinfeld says that men hang on to their underwear until there's nothing left but the "elastique." Seely boiz.

 

[slug25]

Touche! Coo-de-graws is better than coo-de-grez (my bad), but coo-de-gross (rhymes with "toss") might be best. Either are preferable to common (mis)pronunciation: coo-de-graw.

A bouquet to you about "chaise longue", but my ears often hear "chase lounge" from shoppers seeking new patio furniture.

No deja vu from anyone?

 

[slug25]

Kib, if you insist on playing the Boneyard pedant's role, at least get it right. Coup de grace phonetically is "cood grahss"

 

[Kibitzer]

Kib, if you insist on playing the Boneyard pedant's role, at least get it right. Coup de grace phonetically is "cood grahss"

I'll say merci for the "grahss" (separately I suggested "gross" to rhyme with "toss") but I believe your "cood" would work better with a space after "coo" and an apostrophe after "d" -- thus: "coo d' grahss."

N'est pas?

Now we can both look forward to the UConn rendezvous with Cincinnati.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Le weekend. (French academy take note)

 

[slug25]

The correct pronunciation is just a whisper more than two syllables, with the "de" almost swallowed between coup and grace. Cood grahss comes pretty close without using phonetic symbols.

 

[Kibitzer]

Le weekend. (French academy take note)

A good example of Franglais, despised by the French Government but popular with citizens with savoir-faire.

 

[Kibitzer]

The correct pronunciation is just a whisper more than two syllables, with the "de" almost swallowed between coup and grace. Cood grahss comes pretty close without using phonetic symbols.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

All this time I thought de Gracie was a car company.

 

[Carnac]

Jacques strap.

While my French is nowhere near the place of some of you yarders, I must admit I LOL at this one. I didn't see it coming. I like it.

If I'm ever in need of a "pen name", or an "alias", or if I ever change my BY name and avatar, I'm using this one!! I'll dress it up and add another "p".

 

[Zorro]

I am surprised and shocked that no one has identified the Huskies as "les belles dames sans merci"! Quelle dommage!