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| Why the bad French? http://infinitesummer.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=215 |
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| Author: | hcethatsme [ Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Why the bad French? |
Surely DFW knew that it's "fauteil roulant" not "de rollent." There were some other little things that caught my attention--can't re-find them all, but for example the construction "it made the shrill whistling sounds" is un-idiomatic. It can't just be sloppiness, can it? (Source: I was in the French school system through high school, which granted is a long time ago...) I wondered if some could be chalked up to French-Canadian dialect, but rollent at least is plain wrong. Any ideas?? Hilary |
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| Author: | troybob [ Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why the bad French? |
| Author: | hcethatsme [ Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why the bad French? |
Thanks Troybob--that's actually one I'd forgotten about, because it means "Assassins OF rolling chairs" (except that "rollent" is not a French word at all). And having lost my way in Endnote 304, I found the other glaring one I'd forgotten: Thierry as a woman's name. Easy mistake to make if you think of it as Terry, but it's actually more like Jeffrey--ie very much a male name and jarring to hear with a female pronoun. Yes, it could be DFW playing around.... but very few English speakers would get the joke. I am still puzzled. |
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| Author: | Philip [ Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:06 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why the bad French? |
Dunno what the answer is. But maybe it's the difference between the French spoken in Quebec and Paris? |
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| Author: | bluestocking [ Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Why the bad French? |
I have a huge theory about this and Rolle's Theorem. Let's not forget that Wallace started life as a mathematician (kind of!) We talked about it at some length on Howling Fantods like a zillion years ago. But I think I will be spoilin' if I say too much more (?) I've made a note to revisit. |
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