Dictionary of Phrase and Fable—E

English French

A kind of perversity seems to pervade many of the words which we have borrowed from the French. Thus curate (French vicaire); Vicar (French curé).

Encore (French bis).

Epergne (French surtout); Surtout (French pardessus). Screw (French vis), whereas the French écrou we call a nut; and our vice is étau in French. Some still say à l'outrance (French à outrance).

We say double entendre, the French à deux ententes.

The reader will easily call to mind other examples.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
Englishman
Englentyne
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

More on English French from Fact Monster:

  • Languages in the United States - Urdu Spoken Here The U.S. is more multilingual than you might think by Borgna Brunner More than ...
  • Chinook jargon - Chinook jargon Chinook jargon, lingua francaof early traders on the Northwest Coast of the United ...
  • Jan Kasprowicz - Kasprowicz, Jan Kasprowicz, Jan , 1860–1926, Polish poet. His writings progressed from social ...
  • Moose Factory - Moose Factory Moose Factory, trading post, NE Ont., Canada, near the mouth of the Moose River on ...
  • Friedrich von Flotow - Flotow, Friedrich von Flotow, Friedrich von , 1812–83, German operatic composer. Flotow's ...

Related Content