Chris H wrote:
) In message <
[email protected]>,
)>In article <
[email protected]>,
)>> Well before google search a bunch of us were at dinner
)>> and something I had wondered about came to mind, so I
)>> decided to ask a USA born, native English speaker who
)>> had a certificate attesting to a completion of a course
)>> in French studies from Universit?? Paris-Sorbonne
)>> (before they reorganized it all) . "Scarlet," I asked,
)>> "what does `je ne sais quoi' mean?" Immediately she
)>> said "I don't know what." My jaw dropped, Scarlet
)>> stared at me with an amused expression, and then the
)>> penny dropped.
)>>
)>> Later told a friend about the incident. He stared at me
)>> blankly; and did not get the joke. Probably has not to
)>> this day, as I never explained it to him.
)>
)>I don't speak French, but I assume it's similar to "What's the
)>difference between ignorance and apathy?", "I don't know, and I don't
)>care."
)
) No it is something indescribable or undeniable
)
) eg "He has a certain je ne sais quoi" means he has that indefinable
) quality that set him apart. Eg James Bond has je ne sais quoi'
I think you missed the point, he wasn't talking about the phrase itself.
Chris was referring to the analogy between the two jokes: Both of them
have an actual answer, but the answer sounds as if the answerer is not
actually answering the question.
SaSW, Willem
--
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for any of the statements
made in the above text. For all I know I might be
drugged or something..
No I'm not paranoid. You all think I'm paranoid, don't you !
#EOT
