Bilingual idioms.

September 19, 2007 3:32 AM

French letter / capote anglais French leave / filer à l'anglaise Can you suggest other examples of pairs of complementary (perhaps derogatory?) idioms in two different languages? Is there a word for these?
posted by roofus to writing & language (17 comments total)

Uggh...line break missing between anglais and French.
posted by roofus at 3:33 AM on September 19, 2007

Thai smile.
posted by the cuban at 3:59 AM on September 19, 2007

In Madeira they told me that what the English call "Madeira cake" is known as "English cake". But they could have been joking.
posted by Phanx at 4:48 AM on September 19, 2007

See the wiki entry on "It's all Greek to me."
posted by YamwotIam at 5:20 AM on September 19, 2007

I may be wrong but I think that French custard and creme anglais is the same thing...
posted by twine42 at 5:24 AM on September 19, 2007

In England, Syphilis was known as "the French disease". In France, "the English".

I think there are probably a lot of things like that, what with the centuries of bickering between the two nations.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 5:39 AM on September 19, 2007

Following up on dirtynumbangelboy's comment:

... syphilis [was] called the "French disease" in Italy and Germany, and the "Italian disease" in France. In addition, the Dutch called it the "Spanish disease," the Russians called it the "Polish disease," the Turks called it the "Christian disease" and the Tahitians called it the "British disease." (more wiki goodness)
posted by YamwotIam at 5:48 AM on September 19, 2007

American muffins and English muffins.

They are different things, I know, but Macdonalds used to make it clear your breakfast was served in an English muffin, and I assume that in the US the other muffins are just muffins and not American.

Yes, I am assuming the Macdonalds menu is a reflection of US American language usage.
posted by Helga-woo at 6:15 AM on September 19, 2007

I have to imagine that what Americans call "French dressing" would be (correctly) identified as American in France. And of course french fries are really Frites Belgiques, an honor the Belgians are gradually reclaiming as theirs in the USA. But that's not a complimentary pair, that's just a geographic misattribution, like Panama hat.
posted by adamrice at 6:52 AM on September 19, 2007

"French horn" and "cor anglais" doesn't quite meet your specifications since they refer to two different instruments. But maybe historically they didn't?
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 6:52 AM on September 19, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I think French dressing is called vinaigrette in France, adamrice. I've never thought of it as American myself. Perhaps you're thinking of a particular US version.
posted by Phanx at 7:16 AM on September 19, 2007

Dutch uncle, Dutch courage, "doing the Dutch" and other idioms come from a time when England and Netherlands were in fierce competition. I think that the Dutch have some equivalent idioms about England and the English -- I know I saw a great page a couple of years ago about this, but my Google-fu is failing me.
posted by ourobouros at 7:16 AM on September 19, 2007

Vinaigrette in France is the same as here. Oil and vinegar. Salad dressings as we know them here are a recent introduction to the french market, where they're called salad sauces.
posted by chelseagirl at 7:37 AM on September 19, 2007

I once ordered a sandwich in Winnipeg and they said it came with "Candian cheese." I was intrigued until it arrived and was simply American cheese.
posted by atomly at 8:48 AM on September 19, 2007

Helga-woo, in a British cafe in 2002 I saw American muffins on the menu.
posted by crinklebat at 10:32 AM on September 19, 2007

Phanx: what is sold in the USA as "French dressing" is an orange goo that is more like ketchup than vinaigrette. If you want vinaigrette in the USA, do not ask for French dressing.
posted by adamrice at 11:44 AM on September 19, 2007

Yes, precisely, we sometimes call the things that are cakes (often chocolate) American muffins, I'm guessing Americans just call that kind muffins. I am assuming (using the Mcdonalds menu as my cultural guide) that what are technically just muffins here are called English muffins in the US.

It gets a bit more confusing because we've realised the yumminess of 'American' muffins and they've become pretty common in recent years, and they are now often just called muffins. Which are different to the other kind of muffins.

You follow me?

Anyone want a crumpet?
posted by Helga-woo at 2:42 PM on September 19, 2007