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Re: Cases, again

From:Christophe Grandsire <christophe.grandsire@...>
Date:Monday, March 22, 2004, 20:12
En réponse à Philippe Caquant :


>I'm afraid I'm under 50 (so I hope to survive at least >one more summer + winter). I can't remember where I >heard this expression, I just know it. True, it is >seldom used (or maybe locally ?) But many expressions >seldom used can nevertheless be understood by a fair >number of people. The proof is that you knew it too. >Some can revive, too (let's save and recycle, as says >our friend Czhang).
I knew it because I read it (only the expression, not the meaning of it. That was new for me) in a linguistic article about lexicon evolution as an example of a dead French expression. So it's not quite a common way of learning an expression, and it doesn't make me want to recycle it (especially since it's very insulting. Also, I lost my grandfather last November, so you can understand that the expression "passera pas l'hiver" is not very nice to hear). And as I said, no one in my surroundings (including people way above their 50s) knew the expression at all, not even in passive knowledge. So I can't believe in your "fair number of people". As I said, probably 95% of the population doesn't know what a PPH is, and the remaining 5% probably find the expression out-dated (like I do).
>"PPH" is on the same model as "BCBG" (which probably >came later ?): "Bon Chic Bon Genre", also >reinterpreted by "Beau Cul Belle Gueule". I think "P4" >is also still understood, although military service >has ended by now.
Never heard that one (and I am of the time when the military service still existed). Too bad for your "still understood". I know by experience that if I don't know an expression, nobody I know will know it either. I'm quite the collector.
> It was a code used by the Army to >indicate that somebody couldn't serve as a soldier >because he hadn't all his wits (that's what the Army >recrutor thought, of course).
Well, never heard that at least... Christophe Grandsire. http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr You need a straight mind to invent a twisted conlang.

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Roger Mills <romilly@...>