Americans ban use of the term 'menage a trois'
2000-03-10 11:39:36
So, if you knew your language was becoming obsolete, what would you do? If you're the French government, you'd rage, rage against the dying of the light. Also, if you're the French government, can I borrow a few thousand bucks? American currency only. Thanks.
So, the French government has recently declared that a bunch of Internetty terms are no good, and civil servants can't use them, because they're Englishy and change is bad.
So, you're supposed to say "jeune pousse" instead of "start-up" and "courrier electronique" instead of e-mail. REAL codable, guys. Thanks.
They're not going to like storm into your house and kill you for using the wrong terms yet, but anyone in civil service or working for the government has to use the new French terms.
All this handed down from Jean Saint-Geours, the head of the French Ministry of Finance's terminology committee.
Jean Saint-Geours then went on to comment that "oldspeakers unbellyfeel Frenchthink."
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