Re: French leave, Greek sex etc.
- From: Richard Herring <junk@[127.0.0.1]>
- Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:12:32 +0100
In message <uzllxgi4p.fsf@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Joe Fineman <joe_f@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes
Nikos Sarantakos <sarant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
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
I heard once that, in fact, in France, if you leave a party without
saying goodbye to your host & hostess, you are taking English leave.
I have also heard that the French call Greek sex "le vice anglais", to
which an English M.P. once retorted "The vice of the English is not
buggery but humbuggery".
A Mexican breakfast is a cigarette & a cup of coffee. Whether there
is a gringo breakfast, I don't know.
Perhaps the Dutch can enlighten us on what they call a Dutch treat &
Dutch courage.
and a Dutch widow and a Dutch uncle...
And sailing jargon has some "Flemish" expressions that might be relevant.
--
Richard Herring
.
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- From: Nikos Sarantakos
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