Phrases/words that set your teeth on edge.

[Nick Armstrong]

But if you were in the vicinity of La Rochelle they'd probably assume from what they got from you that you must be an English whatever-it-was-that-Mr-Mitchell-did-or-did-not-call-a-policeman whose ability in terms of correct French pronunciation did not extend to cétaux...

Très sophistiqué, Monsieur 'Inton

But only a potential problem at the fishmonger's, surely...

[mercia]

perhaps this is never said to you, but what is the correct reply to "see you later", meaning goodbye ?

[Pabmusic]

perhaps this is never said to you, but what is the correct reply to "see you later", meaning goodbye ?

I don't think there is a 'correct' response. I suppose it's English's equivalent of au revoir or auf wiedersehn. It's unanswerable really.

[antongould]

I don't think there is a 'correct' response. I suppose it's English's equivalent of au revoir or auf wiedersehn. It's unanswerable really.

Not if I see you first?

[Pabmusic]

Not if I see you first?

[salymap]

And when you get to my age "Take Care" is almost universal, both at the close of emails, phone calls or shop encounters. I know it's kindly meant, but I always feel like saying "Yes, YOU take care too" in a threatening voice.

And,for ages, I puzzled over "See you later" as to me it means the same day.

[scottycelt]

... one trick the British shop staff don't seem to have : I have always admired the consistent riposte in France from, say, staff in a greengrocer's or a butcher's, each time you buy, say, a lettuce or a chop - "... et avec ça? " [ "... and to go with that?" ] - nudging the purchaser to think of buying something else in addition. A good, and effective, ploy - I'm surprised it isn't as regularly encountered over here...

Isn't 'serving' much more of a professional art in France where they seem to do such simple things with far greater 'aplomb' ...?

I say that slightly tongue-in-cheek as once in 1980 I was roundly insulted by a waiter in Paris (not in itself a particularly unique occurrence) by le serveur bawling loudly to all assembled clientele that my French was so awful it would assist him greatly if I simply reverted to ordering my meals in English.

His helpful advice has been ingrained in the scottycelt memory and been wisely adopted ever since.

[vinteuil]

cétaux...

"Le céteau ou séteau ou parfois langue d'avocat (nom binomial Dicologlossa cuneata, parfois Dicologoglossa cuneata par cacographie ou Solea cuneata), est un poisson plat de la famille des Soleidae. Il atteint une dimension maximale de 30 cm ; c'est un carnivore qui habite dans des fonds marins sablonneux et boueux, entre 10 m et 450 m sous la surface de l'eau. Le céteau est un poisson plat ; sa taille maximale est de 30 cm. Plusieurs caractères permettent de le distinguer des autres Soleidae, notamment des jeunes soles avec lesquelles il est parfois confondu. La taille légale minimale pour la capture de ce poisson est de 15 cm. C'est dans les mois plus froids de l'année qu'on le pêche en abondance. sa chair est blanche, fine et maigre et le consommateur n'a aucune difficulté à enlever les arêtes.
En France, le céteau est une spécialité des ports de pêche de la Cotinière, sur l'île d'Oléron, et de Royan, en Charente-Maritime. Il est très consommé en Andalousie, où on le mange en général frit."

... ah, lawyers and their tongues

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Interesting to see that wrong has been used adverbially since at least the 12th Century. We owe to those 17th and 18th-Century classical scholars the credit for so much of our linguistic pedantry.

On the contrary, it just shows that people have spoken wrongly for 900 years.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Horsey people (i.e. those of school age who are nevertheless seem having riding lessons whenthey should be at school) often have a sign:
"PLEASE PASS SLOW."

[Pabmusic]

On the contrary, it just shows that people have spoken wrongly for 900 years.

Well, I suppose there are two sides to every ... I suppose ... well ... ???

[Sir Velo]

Another annoying expression is "sea change"

Or "Step change".

[rauschwerk]

'A big ask', which seems to me a classic example of the infantilisation of language.

[Nick Armstrong]

... ah, lawyers and their tongues

[Stanfordian]

'Blue sky thinking' and 'Thinking out of the box'. Do me a favour!