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

Term of the day: "au premier degré".

This is said when someone can't see the joke, sarcasm, hidden meaning in a statement and takes it at face value. Take the following exchange
Person A
" X (insert controversial British political figure of choice)is a natty dresser"
Person B
"How on earth is that relevant to British politics today?"

We would then say that person B is taking the statement "au premier degré", and not as it was intended, as a piece of minor, harmless and possibly funny levity. So saying "il prend tout au premier degré" means some sense of humour failure.

Can't think what might have given you the idea for that example? No doubt a double "au premier degré" on my part.

For you, dear Fantôme, so attuned to nuances, another idiom would fit: "au second degré" (tongue in cheek, or irony). When in need of hyperbole: "au cinquantième degré" (to/at the fiftieth degree).

So if somebody persistently reads more into everything than the speaker intended, can you say "Il prend tout au second degré"?

A hit, a palpable hit! Ah the academic laser-like mind.
No. It only works with the first degree.

< No. It only works with the first degree. >

Mince alors! (as they say ...)

Martine, I've been investigating the French Department of the Language Thing today (and the German and Spanish Depts actually) and they seem very friendly over there. I'm sure that your FWT would go down a storm, were you to register as a Teaching researcher. They also have a French Speaking thread - great for people like me who'd like to practise, but the downside to that is that you have to translate everything you post (otherwise you get modded), which makes it a bit plodding.

I can see that I will soon be spending more time in here than in Mustardland - making it even more unlikely that I will ever 'get a life'!

I went around there too but was rather underwhelmed as there seems to have been no movement at all since 2004 and I can't quite see how I could fit in. Also the idea of having a head of department doesn't appeal much.
This thing I am starting can only work as separate entries and then in the end one Guide Entry is deemed useful. I am doing it because I love language and I like to listen for particular distortions of ordinary words.

When you've got a few, Martine, you could collate them as a proper Guide Entry rather than a journal.

Was desperately trying to remember French from GCSE, and was quite impressed with mysefl for being able to come up some vaguely useful phrases (we've got a reservation on your campsite for X nights for Y tents) without too much effort. Whether I get further than that....

Will gen up on your FWT in an effort to impress the locals of Briancon.