Life, 1905-02-09 · page 20 of 22
Life — February 9, 1905 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical poem mocking French linguistic nationalism. The context: Paris had launched a campaign against English words infiltrating French language and culture. The joke: A visiting Englishman asks a Parisian a simple question in French ("What time is it, sir?"), and receives the reply in English: "Five o'clock." Despite France's crusade against foreign words, English has so thoroughly penetrated French vocabulary—especially in sports and leisure—that even resistance is futile. The poem catalogs English sports terms adopted wholesale by Parisians: "cricket," "tennis," "golf," "rowing," "turf," "hockey," "paddocks," "bookmakers," "trainer," "jockey." After a week in France, the narrator has learned only two French phrases, both borrowed from English culture: "*chic*" and "*table d'hôte*." The satire targets French cultural anxiety about English dominance while highlighting the reality that language change cannot be legislated away. It's light mockery of protectionist impulses.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
tttttttstsese NECTAR NECTAR OF THE OF THE GODS ; GODS LIQUEUR PERES CHARTREUX GREEN AND YELLOW— THIS FAMOUS CORDIAL, NOW MADE AT TARRAGONA, SPAIN, WAS FOR CENTURIES, DISTILLED BY THE CARTHUSIAN MONKS (PERES CHARTREUX) AT THE MONASTERY, OF LA GRANDE CHARTREUSE, FRANCE, AND KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AS. CHARTREUSE; THE LABEL AND BOTTLE FORMERLY USED HAVE BEEN ABANDONED. THE GENUINE ARTICLE WILL HENCEFORTH BE KNOWN ONLY AS LIQUEUR PERES. CHARTREUX, DISTILLED BY THE SAME ORDER OF MONKS WHO HAVE SECURELY GUARDED THE SECRET OF ITS MANUFAC- TURE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND WHO ALONE POSSESS A KNOWLEDGE OF THE ST.LOUIS, 1904. yy) os Ravi trum AWARDED TO STOLL&CO. LEXINGTON KY. {ie ft if if ta BONDSLILLA LINEN 15¢ EACH ADRIAN IF YOUR DEALER WONT SUPPLY YOU, WRITE US EMIGH & STRAUB-Dept CC.TROY,NY| Ici On Parle Anglais. (A crusade has been started in Paris against the use of foreiga words, especially English, in French.) "D never been in France before, Or heard the natives speak, And so I thought I'd run across And spend a quiet week. I saw a Frenchman standing near On landing at the dock ; “Quelle heure est-il, monsieur 2” L asked; He answered, ** Five o'clock.” Down in the Bois I found a crowd Collected ina batch. Lasked them, “Quest que c'est que ca?” They told me, * Football match.” They've ‘cricket records,” “tennis,” " golf,” And “rowing,” “turf” and * hockey,” “Paddocks” and * bookmakers” and * bets," WHISKEY- ELEMENTS OF THIS DELICIOUS NECTAR. Fi ‘The * trainer” and the * jockey At brst-ctass Wine Merchants, C Matjer & Co., 45 Broadw. te Agents And after staying just a week — Of this I've made a note— The only words of French I've learned. Are‘ chic” and * table d’héte.” — London Globe. FEEEEEESEA ESSE ESA EEF ESET TSE SAFES SETS ES SSF SSPE ttt sgt tts sss thts sgt sgss: * * * + * + * + + + + + * t + + * + * * + oe * oe + + = * + = + + oe + + + pg + + = + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ps : If you wish to ith gun just as well with thick gloves as with about . < Cj T sportsman can shoot the Hunter One-trigger on a end for “How and the bare hands—practically an impossibility with a Relieve and cure Throat Troubles) double trigger. This special feature makes comfort e shooting or it Send for illus: by cold or us t rol 7 able shooti from a duck blind. Se r caused by i _ ir use of the tee. ted catalogue. Hunter Arms Co., Fulton, N.Y. OVERNOR CHAMBERLAIN, of Con- necticut, tells of an old friend who, be- cause of his deafness, makes some ludicrous and at times embarrassing mistakes. Recently he was at a dinner party where the lady seated |next to him tried to help him along in con- versation. As the fruit was being passed, she jasked him: “Do you like bananas?” “No,” said the old gentleman, with a look of mild surprise. “The fact is,” he added in a confidential tone which could be heard in the next room, “I find the old-fashioned night- Ask For Garrich Glu airnen e xonnis aco, rum Ag All Geod Pleses shirt is good enough for me.”—Exchange. OLD CROW RYE sretos WHISKEY soue tint 6. vorx. comicbooks.com