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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| richfed |
Posted - March 10 2003 : 05:48:19 AM
Here's hoping that nobody gets too bent over shape over these. You've probably even seen 'em already, as I've received several copies - seem to be widely circulated. For those who haven't, here they are - and even for those who have, there's a new one at the bottom!
 French Quotable Quotes:
"France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by prostitutes." ---Mark Twain
"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me." ---General George S. Patton
"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion." --Norman Schwartzkopf
"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it." ---Marge Simpson
"As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure" ---Jacques Chirac, President of France
"As far as France is concerned, you're right." ---Rush Limbaugh
"The only time France wants us to go to war is when the German Army is
sitting in Paris sipping coffee." ---Regis Philbin
"The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch and not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whiskey I don't know." ---P.J O'Rourke (1989)
"You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it." ---John M., Arizona
"You know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he hates America, he loves mistresses and wears a beret. He is French, people." --Conan O'Brien
"I don't know why people are surprised that France won't help us get Saddam out of Iraq. After all, France wouldn't help us get the Germans out of France!" ---Jay Leno
"The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into
Paris under a German flag." --David Letterman
"How many Frenchmen does it take to change a light bulb? One. He holds the bulb and all of Europe revolves around him."
"Next time there's a war in Europe, the loser has to keep France."
----> But the best one of all, added here courtesy of the Six Degrees syndrome, is this, right out of our beloved The Last of the Mohicans - from the script; on-screen version differs just slightly!
WEBB: [to Adjutants] Explain to the Major we care little about toying with colonial militia because we have little to fear from the French. They have not the nature for war. Their Latinate voluptuousness combines with their Gallic laziness and the result is: they would rather make love with their faces than fight.
... and so it goes! |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Ilse |
Posted - March 22 2003 : 7:10:15 PM
LOL, Theresa! :))) |
| Theresa |
Posted - March 22 2003 : 6:26:21 PM
I received a copy of Entertainment Weekly Magazine today and came across this little snipit. It is an explanation of how they will now refer to French titles in their magazine. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, you might think this clever and funny....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...we would like to note that the movie The French Connection will henceforth be referred to in our pages as The Freedom Connection, and the Meryl Streep-Jeremy Irons drama The French Lieutenant's Woman will be referred to as The Free Lieutenant's Woman. The Meg Ryan-Kevin Kline romantic comedy French Kiss will be Free Kiss, a tongueless title we frankly like a little better. An American in Paris will be referred to as The Gene Kelly Movie With the Stupid Dream Sequence at the End.
Paris, Texas will be referred to simply as Texas. To prevent confusion, the James Michener novel Texas will therefore be referred to as Tex, while the S.E. Hinton novel Tex will be referred to as T. If someone releases a novel called T, we will pretend it doesn't exist. George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London will now be simply called Down and Out in London. Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon will be called To the Moon, which we recognize makes it sound like a Jackie Gleason biography or a history of the space program, but that's Gopnik's problem, not ours.
As far as we are concerned, Nicky Hilton no longer has a sister.
The British comedy duo French & Saunders will simply be referred to as Saunders; the "French &" will be silent, like an e, or a mime. Which reminds us: Our long-planned cover story on Marcel Marceau if off.
Frenchie from American Idol will henceforth be known as "The Unjustly Wronged."
Songs, books, TV shows, and movies containing French words will be translated back into English; thus, Moulin Rouge will be referred to as Red Windmill, and La Boheme will be referred to as The Boheme. The refrain from "Lady Marmalade" will be rendered as "Will you sleep with me tonight?" which will-we admit-make it a little more difficult to distinguish from other Christina Aguilera songs. We apologize for any confusion.
We will be suspending our relentless coverage of Edith Piaf until further notice. And finally, actor French Stewart (from 3rd Rock From the Sun) will not be mentioned in our pages. We assume he'll understand.
God bless freedom fries, and God bless America. |
| Theresa |
Posted - March 21 2003 : 07:25:52 AM
I think President Bush will consider the source and brush off Natalie's comments. |
| Dark Woods |
Posted - March 21 2003 : 12:54:44 AM
Do you think that the Dixie Chicks could gain President Bush's approval by wearing their hair in "freedom braids"?  |
| Ilse |
Posted - March 19 2003 : 5:20:45 PM
Jim,
The names do not look familiar immediately but I'll do some thinking and checking up on them; see what I can come up with.
Scott,
Yep, the Frisians are a sturdy folk and very representative of Holland's "fight against the sea". Still, do speak gibberish and have a silly flag, though
Bea,
Ah speedskating. Well, if there is a sport we can call our own it's that one alright.
|
| Bea |
Posted - March 19 2003 : 09:49:21 AM
>>>They were closely (i.e. genetically identical) to the Angles and Saxons who migrated to Britain and founded Merry Olde England (and probably made up part of the migration).<<<<
Yes, you are quite right.. however, according to the research I did, the Frisians also have Scandinavian roots which one can notice as well in their language.
BTW I have many Frisian friends who are very dear to my heart and they take all the jokes in good stride.:) They actually have their own about Hollanders..:)And..most of them I know have great affinity for water! Even if it is frozen..many famous speedskaters hail from Friesland and I know a couple of great hockey players..:)
|
| Scott Bubar |
Posted - March 19 2003 : 09:11:14 AM
Regarding Jim's brother-in-law:
Isn't it more likely the surname would be applied once someone had left Frisia? "John of Frisia" would have little meaning in-country, since nearly everryone there would be "of Frisia", but if John goes to gay Paree, and the folks eating freedom slugs at the sidewalk cafes say "here comes old Jean from Frisia", everyone knows who is meant. |
| Scott Bubar |
Posted - March 19 2003 : 08:49:52 AM
The flag may look a bit funny, but the Frisians are quite a People.
It took them centuries to master their landscape. The problem was that water levels would rise, and they'd have to withdraw for a couple of centuries until the peat grew thick enough to live on.
Even then, chunks of land would break away and float off to sea, occasionally taking entire villages with them.
Perhaps this explains the affinity for water lilies. (But red water lilies?)
The Frisians gave the Romans under Tiberius what-for and got away with it.
They were closely (i.e. genetically identical) to the Angles and Saxons who migrated to Britain and founded Merry Olde England (and probably made up part of the migration).
Frisian is the closest surving language to English.
In the eighth century, Charlemagne decreed:
quote:
That all Frisians would be fully free, the born and the unborn, so long as the wind blows from heaven and the child cries, grass grows green and flowers bloom, as far as the sun rises and the world stands.
(However, I think he meant free to be part of his empire--you know how those Franks are. They can be so gauling at times.)
|
| Bea |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 6:19:10 PM
Theresa, I love your comparison!! Too funny..
Funnier yet how we got from the French jokes to the Frisians.
Ilse once told me one funny one about the cheese knife..
|
| securemann |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 5:53:36 PM
Hey Ilse, My GGG Grandfather comes from Holland and his last name was either Weisgarver,Weisgarner,Wascouver or Myscaver. Have you come across any of these surnames? |
| Theresa |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 5:32:57 PM
Ilse,
That is a silly flag! It looks like some design around a drinking cup from an ice cream parlor.
|
| Ilse |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 4:55:56 PM
Jim,
DeVries is not a typical Frysian name. Bea is right on the Frysian names. They usually end with an "a". But it is a 100% Dutch name, though we write it "De Vries".
Scott,
LOL! Now is that a silly flag or is that a silly flag???? |
| Scott Bubar |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 12:49:16 PM
The "red" is broken on my monitor. To me they look like black macaroni. Or kidneys. |
| Bea |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 10:18:44 AM
Hey, Ilse, those aren't hearts but lilies!! What did you tell me????:):)
The Frisian flag is founded at the end of the 19th century inspired by a blue tabard with three silver coloured bars whereupon seven red leaves of water lilies. The tabard comes from Scandinavia.
In 1957 the flag with the leaves of the waterlily has become the official flag of Friesland.
|
| Bea |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 10:09:52 AM
Yes, Scott, that's the one!!! Ilse considers it absolutely childish.:)
( we hope we don't offend any Frisians now):) |
| Scott Bubar |
Posted - March 18 2003 : 09:01:32 AM
(Image from: FOTW)
Is this the flag under discussion? |
| Bea |
Posted - March 17 2003 : 11:31:54 PM
Jim, I am sure Ilse will know much more about Frisian names..but I remember that names ending with an 'a' like Bosma, Leistra, Spriensma, Brandsma etc. are DEFINITELY Fryske names..We have lots of them in our church..
Ilse, they haven't waved their little flag yet..Oh, I must find that flag and have Rich add it as an avatar since you are soo fond of it.hehehe... |
| Bea |
Posted - March 17 2003 : 11:22:45 PM
Yes, Brenda, I sure remember that well. My heart went out to the Anglos in Quebec back then..Yes, interesting times alright..On Friday a thief took my groceries (I had leaned them against the car) and a day later my friend Wendy's car was stolen too..Teenagers...:(( I am wondering what this world is coming to.. |
| Brenda |
Posted - March 17 2003 : 10:13:25 PM
Yeah, speaking of the french signs in Quebec. There are many small towns along the Quebec border whose residents are english only .. all the businesses were forced to use french signs with the english translation written in tiny letters along the bottom. What a waste of taxpayer money! A few years back, these small towns (all in Pontiac county) tried to create a dutchie (sic?)for themselves in an effort to separate from Quebec. Pretty interesting times! |
| securemann |
Posted - March 17 2003 : 8:45:33 PM
My brother-in-laws last name is DeVries.Does that mean his ancestors are from Friesland? |
| Bea |
Posted - March 17 2003 : 7:49:35 PM
Ya got it!!! Quebec= Friesland.HAHAHAHA!!!! They are a breed apart and make no sense..
BUT- how will I explain this to my Frisian pals???? Ouch...Niet goed!
Oh, and how are things in Margaritaville??? Or should I call it Bourbongate??? Mijnheer Balkenende doesn't look so good... |
| Ilse |
Posted - March 17 2003 : 6:32:57 PM
Ah now I get it. 
Like Friesland, ja? Unreadable road signs, speaking gibberish while waving there silly Friese flag?  |
| Bea |
Posted - March 16 2003 : 9:58:14 PM
Welll, it all comes down to exactly what you have been writing about..I also remember that Quebec had introduced the laws of only French signs which didn't sit very well with the rest of Canada. And yes, it is the politicians ( the Quebecois ones) that should promote unity but instead go for seperatism ..And...speaking of separatism: Alberta isn't too happy either although I certainly don't agree with Premier Klein's vision..YUK! |
| Brenda |
Posted - March 16 2003 : 9:48:10 PM
Bea, I would venture to say that a lot of Canadians living in my area do not like Quebec! It has to do with the fact that being situated on the border means that if you want to hold a good job, you have to be bilingual. I am bilingual so this does not affect me, however I know many people who are struggling to learn the language and face the possibility of losing their jobs if they don't. It's really sad. I lay this mess at the Government's feet. Personally, I love the cities and people of Quebec! |
| Theresa |
Posted - March 16 2003 : 5:43:51 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Wilderness Woman
Hmmmmmm..... the "Freedom" Quarter of New Orleans?? Nah! Somehow that just doesn't fit the character of the area. Maybe we'll let that one stay!
Oh... and Lady Liberty?? She stays!! We love her too much!
Ciao! Or perhaps I should say Bon Jour!
(BTW... no offense is intended to anyone. Speaking for myself, this is all in good fun.)
Well now, WW, have you ever been to New Orleans? To me, you won't find a people more "free" than in the Quarters!  And I'm with you on Lady Liberty...she's one Frenchwoman that makes sense.
*no offense meant or taken here*  |
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