Tonton, Petit Nicolas, Raffarinade and Éléphant
January 5, 2006
Who is Tonton? Who is le petit Nicolas? And what is a raffarinade? Or an éléphant (on the political scene)? What do these terms, that one may read in the French press, mean, and where do they come from? Hint: they refer to political characters.
ANSWERS
Tonton = François Mitterrand, so called because it was his code name during the second world war according to some sources, but there are other explanations.
Le petit Nicolas = Nicolas Sarkozy, in reference to Goscinny's character (probably because Sarkozy is quite short).
Raffarinade = similar to Bushisms, "cryptic" phrases by Jean-Pierre Raffarin, prime minister between 2002 and 2005. My favourite: "L’eau tiède n’est ni chaude, ni froide." (lukewarm water is neither hot nor cold).
Éléphant = influential old members of the socialist party who have been around for a long, long time.
Posted by céline, in Culture, on January 5, 2006I love all these. Rarely anything as linguistically colourful, inventive and evocative in accounts of British politics, is there? I used to have some work contacts (and gosh, this dates me, doesn't it? - how time flies) with Pierre Mauroy, well after his premiership but still prominent then among the 'elephants', and the description so perfectly suited his physique and demeanour as well as political status, I couldn't look at him without thinking it...
Posted by Jean on January 6, 2006 3:50 PM"There, but for the grace of God, go I".
How would you translate that into French?
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