Proper Use of Entrez-vous in French

Proper Use of Entrez-vous in French The comic strip Non Sequitur  by Wiley Miller held a  Great Non-Sequitur Sign-Off Contest, where readers were invited to send in suggestions for the sign in front of the Au Naturel Deli, behind the door of which lurked a bear with a cleaver. The winning entry, from Mary Cameron of Leander, Texas, had text scrawled on the sign outside that read Entrà ©e:  Vous. Most people might apply a double-entendre to the phrase in this context, which might be translated as Todays Entrà ©e: You.  This is a very cute and clever realization of the comic!  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Confusion of Entrà ©e and Entrez But to understand the double-meaning of this suggested comic, the reader would need to understand the  homophonous entrez vous, which is often used by non-native French speakers to mean Come in. So the sign in this comic would be read with a homonymic understanding as both Come in and Todays Main Dish: You.   Language Use Differences The problem is that entrez  vous  in French doesnt quite mean what non-native French speakers use as its literal translation.  When the phrase is broken down, the French verb  entrer is not reflexive; the correct way to say Come in is simply entrez  in the formal and plural you conjugation of the verb. So if the sign in this comic were to indicate that a passerby should enter the shop, itd simply read Entrez, and as a result lose its comedic nature. Neither of these words should be confused with  entre which translates to in or between in English and doesnt have the same pronunciation because the e at the end is essentially silent.  An example of the use of this word might be ...à §a reste entre nous,  meaning this stays between us, perhaps implicative of a confidential conversation.   When to Use Entrez-Vous For non-native French speakers, this begs the question if there is ever an appropriate use of  the phrase entrez vous  in the French language. The only time you might use entrez vous in French would be in the case of a question. Saying Entrez-vous? is similar to asking Are you coming in?  or even What about coming in? and is more casual and conversational in nature.   If youre thinking of using entrà ©e vous or entrez-vous  interchangeably, even for humor, bear in mind that it will likely not be understood by native French speakers as very humorous. Rather, its typically seen as a grammatical error.

Cliché vs. Idiom

Clichà © vs. Idiom Clichà © vs. Idiom Clichà © vs. Idiom By Maeve Maddox In response to a recent post on idioms, a reader asked for a discussion of â€Å"the distinction between idioms and clichà ©s.† In the article referenced, I gave four definitions of the word idiom. Here is the definition closest to the word clichà ©: idiom: a construction or usage peculiar to English. A clichà © is an idiom that people notice and find annoying. Here are three typical definitions of clichà ©: A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. (Oxford Dictionaries online) A trite or stereotyped phrase or expression; also, the idea expressed by it. (Merriam-Webster Unabridged) An expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being trite or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. (Wikipedia) The irritation factor of a clichà © depends to a large extent upon the listener or reader. Three clichà ©s that make me gag are â€Å"the elephant in the room,† â€Å"a win-win situation,† and â€Å"dà ©ja-vu all over again.† On the other hand, I don’t mind â€Å"You can’t please everyone,† â€Å"This too shall pass,† or â€Å"Mi Casa es Su Casa.† Everyone uses clichà ©s. They are convenient verbal shorthand. If our goal is to be original, then clichà ©s are to be avoided. If we are just making conversation, trying to avoid confrontation, wanting to express a strong feeling, or trying to write a catchy headline, clichà ©s are our friends. Numerous websites offer lists of clichà ©s. The lists include proverbs, literary quotations, and cultural references as well as convenient phrases that say a lot in a few words. Here are a few clichà ©s that are alive and well in the media: alive and well â€Å"still existing or active; often used to deny rumors or beliefs that something has disappeared or declined† Ex. Email marketing is alive and well, at least for now- Headline, Fortune. to do an about-face â€Å"to reverse ones opinion or course of action† Ex. China Does an About-Face on GMOS- Headline, Bloomberg. a thorn in one’s side â€Å"a person or thing that repeatedly annoys you or causes you pain† Ex. Otherwise, [Trevor] seems pretty content. That is, except for one thorn in his side- his hotheaded employee, Kat (Cobie Smulders).- Movie review, Washington Post. tell it like it is â€Å"describe the facts of a situation no matter how unpleasant they may be† Ex. R. Kelly promises to ‘tell it like it is’ in memoir- Today, Book News. to be all ears â€Å"to be waiting eagerly to hear about something† Ex. Warren Buffett beams in, and everyone’s all ears- Headline, The Australian. window of opportunity â€Å"a favorable opportunity for doing something that must be seized immediately if it is not to be missed† Ex. The best window of opportunity we have to improve the brains and lives of the nations children is between birth and age 3.- Chicago Tribune. a witch hunt â€Å"a campaign directed against a person or group holding unorthodox or unpopular views.† Ex. Those leading the witch hunt twisted what Mr. Hunt was saying into girls cant do science, and cited Marie Curie to prove him wrong.- The Baltimore Sun. bottom line â€Å"the underlying or ultimate outcome or criterion† Ex. Profits are the bottom line of competitive market business enterprises, and they are signaling devices that inform and direct decisions.- Publication of the Office of the Governor, California. draw a line in the sand â€Å"make it clear that that one has reached a point beyond which one will not go† Ex. The bottom line is that when you draw a line in the sand and decide that nothing on earth will get you to move it, every student within the four walls of your classroom will be changed because of it.–Classroom management site. Clichà ©s are idiomatic expressions. They may not contribute to meaning in significant ways, but they do play a part in social interaction. They may not promote fresh thought, but their familiarity makes people feel that they’re in the loop. in the loop â€Å"aware of information known to only a privileged few† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†Words Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters