Suspiciously familiar...

November 25, 2012 7:41 PM

Y est-ce deux dés? (not exactly what it says on the tin)

And his other published work, Ouvert Sereine Beau, an extract from a longer epic poem, "Louise de Fos", describing how Saint Louise introduced tea drinking to France, in the style of Mots d'Heures: Gousses, Rames. Some commentary and helpful translations on the latter.

posted by BungaDunga (24 comments total)

NO.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:11 PM on November 25, 2012

MML: Deliberate mondegreening, or homophonic translation. See also: soramimi, and the works of Afferbeck Lauder.
posted by zamboni at 8:17 PM on November 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

YES.
posted by Doroteo Arango II at 8:18 PM on November 25, 2012

WEE.
posted by slater at 8:23 PM on November 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

The swill gnaw ten dwell.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:33 PM on November 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

Eye lolled.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:46 PM on November 25, 2012

C'est un truc mignon!
posted by droplet at 9:08 PM on November 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

Quatre Ans de Plus.
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:17 PM on November 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

All I can say is, "M'ont de grin"...
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:33 PM on November 25, 2012

Men in Aida
posted by RogerB at 10:41 PM on November 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Maine. Oh!
posted by Bartonius at 10:42 PM on November 25, 2012

Linguistically, it takes the pièce out of some beat combo that only your mother should know.
posted by maudlin at 10:49 PM on November 25, 2012

Sit as H wets.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:57 PM on November 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Okay, so some person whose French is better than mine needs to translate the crazy French words in this. Please?
posted by koeselitz at 12:18 AM on November 26, 2012

koeselitz, try wordreference.com.
posted by nonmerci at 12:31 AM on November 26, 2012

Wow, as someone with a reasonable French ability, I find I can't hear the English in it at all if I'm following along with the subtitles. If I close my eyes and just listen, then it's perfectly obvious English. If I'm watching, then it's (semantically seriously weird) French. If I have seen the subtitle for a certain line, and then pause it and try to "replay" the sound in my head to figure out what the English was, I still find it really hard, and can only manage by remembering the actual Yesterday lyrics.
posted by lollusc at 12:31 AM on November 26, 2012

Un singe de beauté est un jouet pour l’hiver.
posted by misteraitch at 2:24 AM on November 26, 2012

This is important work that needs to be shared!

with other idiots
posted by Wolof at 3:44 AM on November 26, 2012

This is brilliant! I just returned from France, so I was used to the sounds of French so this did a real number on my head.

Also, I couldn't figure out what Beatles song "Chaleur Sue" was supposed to be. Anyone know?
posted by Kattullus at 4:39 AM on November 26, 2012

Oh wait, it's gotta be "She Loves You."
posted by Kattullus at 4:40 AM on November 26, 2012

More commentary on Samovar Ouvert
posted by BWA at 5:15 AM on November 26, 2012

Ah! Cede! Son cygne grogne.
Ah! Surrender! His swan is unhappy.
posted by Flashman at 5:50 AM on November 26, 2012 [1 favorite]

Un petit d'un petit s'étonne aux halles . . .
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 7:24 AM on November 26, 2012

Y est-ce deux dés? L'oeuf, oiseaux seches, Élysée, j'aime te plaît...
posted by jph at 8:02 AM on November 26, 2012