Comments on: ENGLISHWOMEN: Express surprise that they can have pretty children.

ENGLISHWOMEN: Express surprise that they can have pretty children.

The Whelk — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:56:22 -0800

You too can sound like tedious Second Empire bourgeois making small talk if you follow Flaubert's Dictionary of Received Ideas! A satrical collection of cant, cliche, and "expected" opinions of the French middle-classes around 1870 - List Of Entrees alphabetical - List by subject.

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:59:33 -0800

Wow, a link that goes to Robot Wisdom?!? See also The Devil's Dictionary from Ambrose Bierce.

By: codacorolla

codacorolla — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:15:14 -0800

DEICIDE Wax indignant over it, even though the crime is somewhat infrequent. Flaubert just had to wait a few decades to play some JRPGs, there'd be plenty to thunder about there. MELON Nice topic for dinner-table conversation. Is it a vegetable or a fruit? Stalled conversations are a thing of the past!

By: DU

DU — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:29:38 -0800

SQUARING THE CIRCLE Nobody knows what it is, but shrug your shoulders at any mention of it. Actually, I could probably talk about this for 15 minutes. But everyone listening would just shrug their shoulders. INFINITESIMAL Nobody knows what it means, but it has something to do with homeopathy. ...which is another thing nobody knows what it means.

By: Freon

Freon — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:39:30 -0800

~~ANGER~~ METAFILTER Stirs the blood: it is healthy to be angry now and then.

By: Rustic Etruscan

Rustic Etruscan — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:40:10 -0800

IT: is what it is.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:59:07 -0800

METAFILTER A word used mostly by educated cranks to describe a plate of beans.

By: Decani

Decani — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:59:59 -0800

I was the child of an English woman, and very pretty I was too. Then something went wrong. Something generally does, with English people. Our genes are wack. Fortunately we have our charm, humour and terrific bed skills to make up for it.

By: PinkMoose

PinkMoose — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:13:48 -0800

I love this, i am so glad that it's online!

By: Elementary Penguin

Elementary Penguin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:25:41 -0800

Squaring the circle: Given any polygon, it is possible to construct a square with the same area as the polygon, using only a straightedge and compass. This is called squaring the polygon. Squaring the circle is doing this with a circle, but it is impossible to do with a straightedge and compass, because the square root of π is transcendental, and therefore not constructible. And now you know.

By: GenjiandProust

GenjiandProust — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:34:19 -0800

CATS Cut off their tails to prevent vertigo. Yours or the cats?

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:45:46 -0800

Does anyone else get the feeling that "Thunder against it." is code for something naughty?

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:16:36 -0800

The Barzun translation is magnificent, but if you read French there's nothing like the original. Team Flaubert 4 Lyfe!

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:19:14 -0800

blue_beetle, "Tonner contre" is just Flaubert for "grar".

By: Wolof

Wolof — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:33:12 -0800

COGNAC Very harmful. Excellent for several ailments. A glass of cognac never did anybody any harm. Taken before breakfast, kills intestinal worms.