Re: French leave, Greek sex etc.
- From: Nikos Sarantakos <sarant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:37:03 -0700 (PDT)
On Sep 24, 8:30 am, Nikos Sarantakos <sar...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi all
I need your help about a group of expressions/phrases with the
following characteristics:
a) the name of a nation is used
b) there are similar expressions in several languages with the same
nation's name
c) the expression must not be used in its "country of alleged
origin",
d) in that language, there exists a variant using another nation's
name
For instance, Greek sex (= anal sex) is used in several countries but
in Greece we say "the Ottoman way". More understandably, we don't say
"it's Greek to me", rather "it is Chinese".
When someone leaves unexpectedly without paying his bill or debts, or
saying goodbye, they say that he took the French leave. The same
expression is used in Greek as well and as far as I know in other
languages too, but in French they say "filer à l'anglaise".
I am trying to remember other examples but in vain. For instance,
"Dutch treat" fails because of b) (unless I am wrong, there is no
parallel in another language) and I am not sure whether "French
letters" satisfy either b) or d).
Any ideas, please?
TIA
Nikos Sarantakos
Oops... I pushed "Send" too early; certainly "French letter" is
"capote anglaise" in French!
.
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