'Vive La Difference' by K.J.S.Chatrath

The mega store Printemps in Paris

It is time to clear the confusion created by the French ‘Faux amis’ meaning false friends. No, it does not mean that France is not a true friend or that one should be cautious of friends. It would really be blasphemy even to suggest so with France and India enjoying such an excellent rapport.

“Faux-amis’ in fact refers to the expressions in French language which give a totally skewed meaning to those of us used to Anglo-Saxon phrases. It is a word or a phrase which does not mean what it appears to be meaning.

For example, the French have solved the notoriously ticklish universal problem of the ‘in-laws’ in an extremely sophisticated manner. But before tackling the in-laws, let us first examine the word notorious itself. When the French talk of ‘notoriete’ they are meaning fame and not bad reputation as notoriety in English means.

Coming back to the ‘in-laws’, take the mother-in-law first. What a crude and obnoxious way of addressing a dear one! You are mother not because I perceive you as mother, but because the law forces me to consider you as one. The French have, in one wonderful masterstroke silenced all the mothers-in-law.

Wife’s mother, and so also husband’s mother, is the ‘belle-mere’ or the beautiful mother. Similarly, a father-in law is a ‘beau-pere’ or the handsome father, a brother-in-law is the ‘beau-frere’ or the handsome brother and of course a sister-in-law is a ‘belle-soeur’ or the beautiful sister. This is the delicious French way of tackling even acquired relationships in a polished and sophisticated way.

If you are looking for a library in France and enquire about its location, chances are that you would never find it as the word ‘librarie’ in French means, not a library but a book shop, the word for library being the ‘bibliotheque’.

France is well known for its culinary excellence but here too the pitfalls for us are many. The famous French gastronomy has quite a few surprises in store for lesser mortals. Many of us have been initially shocked to find ‘crudite’ listed as one of the items in the menu-cards of classy French restaurants. “Crudite’ means crudeness and coarseness in French as it does in English. It is arelief to discover that it does not mean any crude dish but a bowl of salad.

One other item in French restaurants which never fails to intrigue foreigners is the famous ‘hors d’oeuvres’. No, it has nothing to do with the horse. ‘Hors d’oeuvres’ really means a starter and is something like a cold meat salad. Of course horse’s meat is considered a speciality and one often comes across a meatshop called the ‘Boucherie Chevaline’ selling only horse’s meat.

A Frenchman talking of a ‘chou’ pronounced like the English word shoe, is not referring to footwear, but the lowly cabbage. Calling the beloved a ‘Chou-chou’ is also a term of endearment. Try calling your beloved a cabbage here in India and watch the fun.

‘Chouette’, a somewhat similar sounding word in French, also confuses us when we hear it being used frequently to describe a wonderful person or thing even though the word really means an ‘owl’. What a way to praise someone! But then the French are different and, as someone said in a different context, ‘Vive La Difference'.

The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, August 17, 1995.

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