"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
[ show fur / show fur ]
From the French verb chauffer ("to heat"), chauffeur literally translates as "stoker," referring to Françoise Blanchard and Jeremy Leven a person responsible for maintaining a fire or boiler. Back in the 1800s, a chauffeur was also a kind of robber who would burn the feet of his victims to extort money. Fortunately, the contemporary chauffeur's responsibilities are limited to operating a vehicle. While Englishspeakers apply the term specifically to one who is paid to drive a client around in a private car, the much broader French meaning includes any person behind the wheel of a vehicle.
While the French are certainly not the worst drivers in the world, they do have their fair share of reckless drivers and road hogs, called chauffards, an insulting term that depicts them as substantially less competent drivers than regular chauffeurs. When called this to their faces, the are known to become overheated.
Copyright © 2004 by Les Editions Diateino
Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Paulina Reyes
Gauche /
gaucherie
[ goİsh / goİsh uh ree ]
The origin of gauche possibly lies in the verb gauchir ("to bend," "to deform," or "to distort"), which comes from the Old French guenchir ("to make diversions"). It was long believed that left-handers, called gauchers in French, suffered from an unfortunate abnormality. The fact that gauche has been used to describe a socially clumsy action, conduct, or remark lacking tact and grace certainly didn't help their cause.
The word arrived into English during the mid-nineteenth century with its French meaning, and has since been employed as a synonym for "unpolished," when talking about a style or technique. From gauche naturally derived gaucherie, first recorded in French in the eighteenth century. The term, referring to awkward behavior or a blunder that betrays one's maladroitness, also included the sense of timidity.
We will leave it to the reader to explore which nationalities, when visiting Paris, for example, are seen by the good citizens of France to behave in a manner consistently gauche, being insufferably loud and poorly mannered, a deficiency attributed almost entirely to their tragic misfortune of not being French.
Copyright © 2004 by Les Editions Diateino
Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Paulina Reyes
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 2.64
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 5169173-n
Book Description Paperback or Softback. Condition: New. Say Chic: A Collection of French Words We Can't Live Without 0.33. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9781416561842
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. This item is printed on demand. Seller Inventory # 9781416561842
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Brand New! This item is printed on demand. Seller Inventory # 1416561846
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 1416561846-2-1
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # ABLING22Oct2018170136750
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # I-9781416561842
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Ever wonder why French words have become so common in English as to be cliches? Or why your witty repartee wouldn't be quite so witty without them? In Say Chic Francoise Blanchard and Jeremy Leven collect more than seventy familiar French words and phrases that have become a permanent part of the English vocabulary. The authors offer full-bodied descriptions of word origins and each word's adoption into English usage that include history, pop culture, etymology and pithy observations. Compact in size and featuring twenty playful illustrations by Paulina Reyes as well as that elusive je ne sais quoi, SayChic is a mine of intriguing words and the stories behind them, which will find its raison d'etre on the bookshelf of any enlightened reader. A celebration of commonly used French words and their uncommonly surprising and amusing meanings and histories, complemented by delightfully stylish and sexy illustrations. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781416561842
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. THIS BOOK IS PRINTED ON DEMAND. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # L0-9781416561842
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. illustrated edition. 144 pages. 7.50x4.50x0.50 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # x-1416561846