Date:  Thu, 12 Oct 1995 08:23:22 CDT

From:  Mike Picone <MPICONE[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UA1VM.UA.EDU>

Subject: Re: the dictionary of stereotypes



Re: Dictionary of stereotypes.



Don't forget Parthian shot, which has become "parting shot" for a lot

of people as a way of rendering it less opaque.



Here are just a few that come quickly to mind for France:



The French like to deride people who don't speak French well by saying:

"Il/Elle parle francais comme une vache espagnole." It's very current.



A roller-coaster over there is "une montagne russe."



To slip away unnoticed is: "filer a l'anglaise."



A baked potato is "une pomme de terre a l'anglaise."



If a French person doesn't understand something, it's not "Greek" to

them like it is here but rather "C'est du chinois."



To eat alone is "manger en suisse" (which does not mean to eat in

Switzerland, but alludes to the practice of the French kings at

Versailles who would eat in their private chambers with the way of

access barred by the Swiss Guard).



"oncle d'Amerique" is a rich uncle or other relative from whom one

receives an inheritance.



And just a couple more from Cajun country: "une patate anglaise" is

an Irish potato, and "congo" is used adjectivally as in the following:

 "serpent congo" = black water moccassin

 "negre congo" = very dark African-American



Mike Picone

University of Alabama

MPICONE[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UA1VM.UA.EDU