For a new era, a new vocabulary. As Britain prepares for its Brexit election, a new chapter in the often awkward relationship between Britain and France begins. If you’re English and travel to France, you’ll find Brexit is a frequent topic of conversation, so brushing up your vocab is good preparation.
Le Brexit entered the Larousse dictionary last year. Le Frexit and le Grexit exist too. Le no deal Brexit is used, but un Brexit sans accord is equally common.
The government denies it’s going to happen, but if the country were to become a kind of Singapour-sur-Tamise, that would be:
une course au moins-disant social et environnemental.
Le moins-disant is the lowest bidder in a tender for a contract, so une course au moins-disant is a “race to the bottom”.
Theresa May a jeté l’éponge.
leaving the path open to Boris Johnson. Jeter l’éponge is soggier and more often used than the English “to throw in the towel”.
Johnson speaks very respectable French – as he showed when touring France four years ago to promote his biography of Winston Churchill. However he sometimes plays down his skills, provoking accusations he is:
un faux neuneu
someone who plays the fool.
« Boris », alias « BoJo », est une marque à lui tout seul, connue pour son excentricité et ses positions pour le moins élastiques… Il a domestiqué sa tignasse blonde autrefois désordonnée… Il cultive son image d’Anglais snob avec sa voiture de sport rouge cabossée, ses vêtements troués et sa manière d’écorcher volontairement son français parfait.
For detractors he copies the tactics of the American President:
Ce démagogue ultralibéral se pose en Donald Trump britannique au petit pied.
Au petit pied means small scale (le pied being a unit of measure), but in English we’d maybe say “cheapskate”.
But for Johnson’s supporters he’s fighting against stultifying consensus – le consensus mou – and administrative barriers – les lourdeurs administratives.
The debates over Brexit produce moments of high tension:
Les conciliabules se sont poursuivis jusqu’à la dernière seconde.
When the Conservative Oliver Letwin sought to block Johnson, his manoeuvres brought angry stares from his colleagues:
Le feu des regards courroucés de certains de ses collègues a failli transpercer son costume.
Not so long ago, it was British diplomats who were renowned for their composure:
le flegme britannique
But national stereotypes change over time – and today it’s a Frenchman, Michel Barnier, who appears to be the calmest player in the game. Thus after (yet another) revolt by la Chambre des communes
La Commission européenne a «pris acte du vote» et s’est bien gardée d’en dire plus.
Reading the news in French
Reading the news in French is an excellent way of enriching your vocabulary. Most French news sites are behind paywalls, but Le Monde, Le Figaro and the weekly magazine L’Express all have a one month for 1€ trial edition.
Boris Johnson, un faux « neuneu » au pouvoir – le Monde
Brexit : le vote historique n’a pas eu lieu – Libération
Boris Johnson: conservateur, populiste ou libéral-libertaire? – Le Figaro
