23/08/2006
Congenially speaking
Going through my list of keywords to translate, I have discovered a brand new word I had never encountered during my stay in Britain.
This word is CONGENIAL. The Free Dictionary (very useful reference website) gives this definition (amongst others) : sympathethic, friendly and sociable.
What the Free Dictionary doesn't mention, and probably doesn't know is what 'congenial' litterally means in french. A 'con génial' means a great idiot or a fantastic damn foul, if you prefer.
These funny meaning differences can cause great misunderstandings. I would probably have been very upset if anyone had told me I was congenial (although it would have been unlikely, I've never been told I was sociable in my entire life).
I think I have possibly put the finger on the reasons why Britain and France have never managed to really get along and why so many Britons and French assume the people on the other side of the Channel are weird, mean and stupid. Although this is sometimes true... take Bernie for example, whose real name, by the way, is Bez... which, funny enough, litterally means 'fuck' in french... isn't it brilliant ? Languages sometimes seem to fit to the perfection.
10:44 Posted in n'importe quoi | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this | Tags: language, translation, languages, french, english, meaning, meanings
Comments
I really must complain about the last part of your blog today...quite unnecessary...don't you know that 'literally' only has one 't'? Did we teach you nothing? Apart from that, just fine ;)
Posted by: Mike | 23/08/2006
yes yes, well, maybe I made a spelling mistake... or, or maybe, it was a trick-on-words-too-clever-for-you-to-understand..? maybe I put two "t" to imply, by the use of a very clever metaphor, that the English language is a litter... now you didn't think of that, did you ? well me neither... but do you think it could maybe work?
Posted by: Ethel | 25/08/2006
...or perhaps you were implying that we have too much tea in England? That could work. By the way, isn't it your turn to write? ;)
Posted by: Mike | 25/08/2006
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