Essential Classics - The Continuing Debate

[LMcD]

Whenever we had a French vocabulary test at school, the only verb I regularly forgot was 'oublier' (honestly!)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Whenever we had a French vocabulary test at school, the only verb I regularly forgot was 'oublier' (honestly!)

And now it's the only one you remember?

[Padraig]

And now it's the only one you remember?

C'est le vie!

[LMcD]

And now it's the only one you remember?

Well, there's at least ONE more, since I often find myself joining in with the first line of the 'Marseillaise' whenever there's a 6 Nations match on the telly in which France are involved. (How can they possibly LOSE a match after an anthem like that?)

[Serial_Apologist]

C'est le vie!

Non ce n'est pas!

[french frank]

Non ce n'est pas!

I was surprised to be handed a Christmas card from la patronne of the salon de thé which I fréquente, addressed to 'Cher S').

[vinteuil]

I was surprised to be handed a Christmas card from la patronne of the salon de thé which I fréquente, addressed to 'Cher S').

... wot with the Académie française thinkin' of abandonin' the circumflex in some cases - and someone in le Figaro questionin' the need for the imperfect subjunctive - hell in a handcart, I tells 'ee, wrack an' ruin, we're all doomed, I tells 'ee...

.

[Padraig]

we're all doomed, I tells 'ee...

Quelle dommage.

[Serial_Apologist]

Quelle dommage.

Shouldn't that be damage?

[french frank]

Shouldn't that be damage?

Doom and damnation.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... wot with the Académie française thinkin' of abandonin' the circumflex in some cases
.

I thought they'd already done that.

[ahinton]

... wot with the Académie française thinkin' of abandonin' the circumflex in some cases - and someone in le Figaro questionin' the need for the imperfect subjunctive - hell in a handcart, I tells 'ee, wrack an' ruin, we're all doomed, I tells 'ee...

"Rack and ruin", surely? Not to mention "onion" instead of "oignon". The one that gets me most, however, is the pretty much wholesale abandonment of accents on capital lettres. Someone should do their Duti and rescue la langue from these solécismes, n'est-ce pas?...

[Serial_Apologist]

"Rack and ruin", surely? Not to mention "onion" instead of "oignon". The one that gets me most, however, is the pretty much wholesale abandonment of accents on capital lettres. Someone should do their Duti and rescue la langue from these solécismes, n'est-ce pas?...

As long ago as the 1950s, when I was so-to-speak "educated" at school, we were told that capital letters never take accents.

[french frank]

As long ago as the 1950s, when I was so-to-speak "educated" at school, we were told that capital letters never take accents.

Me too, but the Ancient Academy of French saith:

"On ne peut que déplorer que l'usage des accents sur les majuscules soit flottant. On observe dans les textes manuscrits une tendance certaine à l'omission des accents. En typographie, parfois, certains suppriment tous les accents sur les capitales sous prétexte de modernisme, en fait pour réduire les frais de composition.

Il convient cependant d'observer qu'en français, l'accent a pleine valeur orthographique. Son absence ralentit la lecture, fait hésiter sur la prononciation, et peut même induire en erreur. Il en va de même pour le tréma et la cédille."

De la bouche du cheval.

[oddoneout]

Are floating majuscules a variation of floating islands? Do they taste as good?

fait hésiter sur la prononciation, et peut même induire en erreur

Some presenters manage that without the excuse of missing accents etc....