But What's Australian for Blog, Mate?

Crikey, who knows?

But thanks to Sploid for pointing us, via Boing Boing via Loic Le Meur, to the latest annoyance from America's oldest enemy (not counting the English, the Spanish, the Indians, other Americans, and the weather).

Which is: The French Academy has declared that the official French term for weblog shall be..."Bloc Notes."

Good luck enforcing that one, garcons.

Comments

joe | May 23, 2005, 4:22pm | #

Will 'surrender' still be 'surrender?'

smacky | May 23, 2005, 4:24pm | #

Am I the only one who believes the French Academy to be a bunch of scheming ten-year-olds in a treehouse somewhere near the Seine?


I bet they vote to refer to their ice cream as "volcano magma" and their shoes as "moon boots", too.

Rogue francophile | May 23, 2005, 5:19pm | #

We prefer capituler.

stubby | May 23, 2005, 6:24pm | #

When "freedom fries" and all that linguistic highchair banging was in the news, I agreed that it was silly and so were its proponents. But I also remarked that, at the same time, not many people were taking note of the government's (or the Academy's - I forget which) decree that email was henceforth to be courriel. And now this.

The neverending French quest to protect their precious language is a lot like the anti-gay marriage/civil union effort to "protect" the sacred institution of marriage. Anything requiring this kind of crap to defend it is too weak to live.

Rogue francophone | May 23, 2005, 6:48pm | #

A bas l'email!

Vive le courriel!

kevrob | May 23, 2005, 6:48pm | #

I believe that en Français, Wookie is Gérard Depardieu.

Kevin

kevrob | May 23, 2005, 7:09pm | #

Oops, wrong thread.

Kevin

Ken Shultz | May 23, 2005, 10:03pm | #

I know this is a bit off topic, but I thought I might save a couple of Francophiles a few bucks.

I went and saw A Tout de Suite over the weekend. It's an homage to the French New Wave; it's about a gorgeous girl that falls in love with a bank robber, goes on the run and can't keep her clothes on; it got a great review over at the New York Times; indeed, it's a "Critic's Pick"...

...and, despite all of this, it stinks. How does one say "painfully tedious" in French?

mais oui | May 24, 2005, 12:56am | #

ennui?

Doc | May 24, 2005, 6:30am | #

Australian for Blog? Easy!

Beer.

ed | May 24, 2005, 10:29am | #

Man, those French have a different word for everything!

Madog | May 24, 2005, 11:09am | #

Hell, if the French had just been more creative and invented the Blog first, then we'd be using their word.

Of course, they'd probably insist that blogging only be done in French and take steps to make sure no non-French speakers ever heard of the concept. :)

Etienne Martine | May 25, 2005, 12:32am | #

Man, those French have a different word for everything!

Bien, excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuusez-moi!