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FWT: "purée!"
martine_s Started conversation May 31, 2005
Literal meaning: mashed potatoes.
Two uses.
One: "être dans la purée" (also "dans le pétrin"= in the kneading-trough) = in a difficutl situation. It is a euphemism for a more scatological substance.
The second use can bemuse listeners who are not au fait with French as she is spoke in the South of France ("le Midi"). There, the word "purée" becomes a verbal punctuation mark (see "putain" / "con" entries), a mannerism usually combined with the southern accent ("'accent du Midi"). Thus:
"Purée!, si j'avais su." = Gosh, if I had known.
On the whole France is sadly in the mashed potatoes today...
FWT: "purée!"
annie_cambridge Posted May 31, 2005
And so are the media commentators, attempting to make sense of the situation!
Your reference to the accent du Midi made me feel very nostalgic for Toulouse, where I spent my 'year abroad' as a student. In addition to 'putain' and 'con' I also learnt the use of 'boudu' - just realised I have no idea how to spell this, but it's a corruption of 'bon dieu' and frequently occurs in collocation with 'con', as in:
"Boudu con, Chirac a foutu Raffarin à la porte!"
= "Oh my God, Chirac's given Raffarin the boot!"
[Not a good example really, as I don't suppose anybody was very surprised!]
FWT: "purée!"
martine_s Posted May 31, 2005
I must say I would like to hear your producing those rolling "r"s and other idiosyncrasies...
When O/H is feeling particularly cheerful, he falls back into the language/accent he learnt as a child near Bordeaux and everybody has to laugh.
FWT: "purée!"
annie_cambridge Posted May 31, 2005
Well, you never know ... one of these days we might manage a "rendez-vous moutardien" on your side of the Channel. I'm also very fond of Edinburgh, so if you get a research trip there, that's another possibility.
Spent a bit of time this weekend getting organised for Canada - the pile of clothes on the spare bed is growing, along with all the stuff I've been asked to bring by my ex-pat hosts: Jackson's leaf tea (English Breakfast and Earl Grey), Daddies Sauce, Weetabix ...!
Tomorrow is my last full day at work, I'm finishing at lunchtime on Thursday. Thursday afternoon and evening for panicking and packing, then I'm off first thing on Friday morning!
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FWT: "purée!"
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