h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Getting swamped with argot, "le dico" aint no use at all!

I am sure most of this is vulgar in the extreme (who DOES she mix with?)

but give me you best non-modded version of:

gonzesse

poignée

pognon(s)

gegusse (sp?)

Actually found an "Argot" site:

http://www.uqtr.ca/argot/

...but suspect the above may be too rude!!!

Certainly the one about doing evil things with pumps until the 23rd generation will be, if nothing else they are creative with insults, only bettered by the Arabs, who have the advantage of camels to throw into the equation!

(silly sods think i don't understand...er...maybe i don't totally but am not daft!)

Terri

From an email ce soir:

<<>>

What in god's teeth is a bigophone??????? Which bit of equipment may ring????

Too late now to ring either his big or little phone i suspect!

Ho hum, life in France is an ever increasing mystery.

zdt

You got me curious about the bigophone thing. I had to check. Yes, had to. I had no choice at all!

Anyhow, here's how Google translates the page from its original French. The real answer is the last sentence, but the translation is kind of fun all by itself. It seems that the bigophone is named after its inventor, Religious Bigot!

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://dictionnaire.metronimo.com/term/1179,1,xhtml&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbigophone%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8

Zinc instrument, called thus name of its inventor, Religious bigot (1883). It is a kind of mirliton provided with a mouth in which one sings. The sound of the voice is reflected on a small thin paper sheet tended on a side opening. Meetings of "bigotphonists" took place in 1910 in XIVe district of Paris. This word is used familiarly to indicate the telephone.

I just come back from work so I haven't had a chance to look at the argot site [another link to add to the page eventually?!..] and the Google translation...

Bigophone = telephone was my first thought but I didn't know the origine of that word [ Not Banned Yet...]... Err I didn't have a second thought...

None of these words are moddable by the way...
Unless they have put a hidden meaning

gonzesse = chick/bird/girl
nana is also another word for a member of the fair sex...

poignée = fistfull but is also a door handle...

pognon = dosh/money

gegusse (sp?) = guy?! Not too sure about that one though... I remember gusse so it could be it...


..............

I will have a look at the links as soon as possible...

Could be interesting...

Talk soon...

A bientot...

loup

muchly both of you!

at bigophone definition!

Honestly, i think this gegusse parles un language spécifique, even his froggie friends look puzzled at times! Maybe the fact that he was the French crossword champion has something to do with it, he probably speaks in cryptic clues!

It does have advantages though, whilst he is muttering evil French curses i can smile brightly & do likewise in filthy Brummie street lingo!

I was treating him to the traditional greeting meted out to strangers in Birmingham:

"'Ere mate, ya talking ter me or chewin' a brick??"

..to which there is no correct response, if you say "Er, talking to you actually, my good man" he will reply:

"Well, shut yer gob then, or i'll shut it for yer!"

if you say "Er, just exercising my teeth on this fine piece of British architecture" he will reply:

"Well don't speak with yer mouth full!"

...either response will more than likely result in a sore jaw!!

Isn't the European Union wonderful, all these lovely cultural barriers to break down!

zdt

That reminds me of "Asterix in Corsica"...

In the story, the poor Roman soldiers were not able to even look at the young women of the island without one of the male Corsican coming to them and asking in a threatening voice: "You like my sister, hey?! " to which the poor soldiers would quickly reply: " No, I don't "
The Corsican brother would then ask, in the same threatening voice: "Oh... You don't like my sister, hey?!"
The terrified soldiers would quickly reply: " No no... I do like your sister..." to which the Corsican would ask in a threatening voice: "Oh... You like my sister, hey?! " etc.. etc... etc...

[I'm quoting from memory so it might not be the exact words... but the idea is there...]

We sure milked that joke a lot, for years actually, after "Asterix in Corsica" came out...
Not sure if the Corsicans thought it was funny though...




loup

even...

But are the Corsicans important in the Grande Scheme of Things Français, surely they rank only slightly higher than the Belgians?

(But muscles et contacts = plus important than !)

zdt

Hmmmm..... I would think Corsicans do have quite an important place in that scheme... After all they gave us Napoleon

Of course, the Belgians gave us quite a good amount of famous fictional characters such as Tintin and Maigret... So they certainly have an important place in that scheme as well...

And, they sure deserve an extra bonus point for giving us Jacques Brel as well...

That's without even mentioning their chocolates and the "frites"...



loup

True!!

We have a massive statue of Hergé here, he is pretty much a god, this being the BD capital!

As for frites, sorry, no contest, i am the undisputed "Reine de la frites Anglaise"!

(Hey, i had a real live vegetarian French man round here yesterday; they said such a beast didn't exist!)

Loup, having major problems here in France with Trojan virus, see my "Ask h2g2" post, if you or Whsky or anyone can help, please do!

zdt

How is the Trojan problem by the way?!...

I got your email sent to my activemail account, forwarded it to my Yahoo one, then messaged you on your IM but I never got a reply...

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Good news:

More French related Entries have made their way into the Edited Guide...F95998?thread=419324

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A bientot...

loup