BrigitDoon wrote:I admire the French for their determination not to have* their language polluted by creeping Americanisation**.
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Sorry Brigit. I have to agree with Dex. The loi Toubon of 1994 never really got anywhere ( supposed to, amongst other things, protect the French language) As Dex said, most people here in France are enjoying the well earned le weekend, and certainly not their vacancelle which Toubon proposed. Words like le courriel for email have never caugt on either.
Every day we are bombarded with English/American phrases, or corruptions thereof, which when said with a French accent sometimes bear no resemblance to the original. I remember one of the first meetings I had to go to when my boss said "David, could you pop next door and fetch le paper-board Flummoxed I had to plead ignorance. Turns out to be a flip-chart. Really upset my colleagues when I informed them of the real English word.
This week I had to go and see a client. "You really must see Sophie" she said. "Who is Sophie?" I asked. "She is le manager responsable for le reporting" she replied. "But I'm afraid this morning she's at le forecast meeting" Our meeting finished early so I thought I'd take the opportunity to go and faire le shopping. However, when I saw how full le parking was I thought better of it. Instead I thought I'd pop in to cadge a coffee from my friend who lives nearby. He's an I.T. fanatic. "" You have to see my new software" he greeted me, "it"s so must have" He explained it to me but I was lost and said so. "Oh, you PC has-beens" he retorted, "you are not nearly as clever as us mac-users."
Just some examples, I could go on and on. And all real, I promise!!!