Terroir is a big no no, especially in the USA. In fact they have a War Against Terroir.
Fugly cycling trends
- Thread starter Crackle
- Start date
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PhilDawson8270
Veteran
I hate this one. It's a body warmer.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
Or brevet card. I don't even know what "brevet" is in English. Audax has tons of them. Randonnee, Randonneur, Populaire etc.
As to "bidon" that's quite interesting. It's entered English usage with a very specific meaning: A water bottle for a bicycle. In French it may still retain a general meaning, I don't know, but in English it's quite specific. "Water bottle" on the other hand could mean any bottle that holds water. So "bidon" is a useful addition to the language.
That said, I do think it's a bit poncy and personally use the term "bike water bottle". But if I was describing a rider throwing his water bottle in a pro race, I'd probably say bidon. "As in the patron of the peloton threw a bidon at my bonce".
"Chapeau!"
Flick of the Elbow
less than
- Location
- Midlothian Edinburgh
I'm a bit dubious about that one, harmless though it is. I've been following the sport avidly since the early 80's and only started hearing the word chapeau in the last 5. I wonder if it's a recent invention.
BalkanExpress
Legendary Member
- Location
- Brussels
I agree with you on bidon, it's a water bottle . And I bet that even those who call it a bidon use a bottle holder and not a bidon holder.
But coming back to the names of events: Tour of Flanders or Ronde Van Vlaanderen? Paris- Roubaix or Paris-Roubaix, if you see what I mean?
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
"Hat!" gets one funny looks
- Location
- London
"Hat!" gets one funny looks
Very true.
But that's because it's a pretty daft thing to say in any language.
I suppose the thing with these things is the intent, and if you administered a truth drug to these pseudo french folk, shone a searchlight at them, lined them up against a red wall and pointed a gatling gun at them I'm pretty confident that the truth would out - they want to seem cool or fit in with a particular crowd.
Flick of the Elbow
less than
- Location
- Midlothian Edinburgh
Yep, guilty as charged
. I'm like the kid in Breaking Away, living far distant from the Continent but idolising everything about its bike racing. Even if the Italians do play dirty (in the film).By the by, I just googled it, I never knew that was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. It won Best Screenplay.
jefmcg
Guru
Bike: short for bicycle, derived from the Greek kuklos, wheel.
Water: from the German Wasser
Bottle: From the french, boutielle.
English borrows constantly from other languages. It's part of it's power. Everyone should relax.
"The French have no word for 'entrepreneur''
(not said by GWB)
Yep, guilty as charged
By the by, I just googled it, I never knew that was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. It won Best Screenplay.
- Location
- London
By the by, yes a very good film. Finally caught up with it at an outside showing at Herne Hill Velodrome (though I am no racer as you probably guessed) -and as you say, the film shows his idolised italian team to be cynical cheats. The film also punctures a few other italian myths, particularly those believed by adoring foreigners,notably family.Yep, guilty as charged
By the by, I just googled it, I never knew that was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. It won Best Screenplay.
- Location
- London
Not good examples as though they of course have foreign roots (folk have been exchanging everything from language to pottery to bodily fluids for thousands of years and long may it continue) are english words.
jefmcg
Guru
They are english words now, but at some point they were foreign words and I am sure people complained about their usage. "Bicycle? What's wrong with velocipede?'
PhilDawson8270
Veteran
I've not looked but would guess velocipede is Latin.
