That’s an expression I haven’t heard before. I can’t think of an English expression involving butterflies, aside from the standard butterflies in your stomach.
The Butterfly Effect, which I’m sure will have been adopted by French as l’effet papillon. There is also to be a ‘social butterfly’ in English. I don’t know what that would be in French, but the use of butterfly is so apt that I bet the French uses it too.
The French are perfectly correct in their use of papillon for all lepidoptera. There is no good scientific distinction between butterflies and moths, it is just a vernacular convention to refer to night flying leps with feathery antennae as moths and day flying leps with clubbed antennae as butterflies. However there are lots of exceptions, with many day flying moths.
Rosemary Kneipp
October 25th, 2016 at 9:37 pm
Yes, in French, they say effet papillon as well. A papillon, however, is someone who is fickle rather than what we call a social butterfly.
Thank you for your explanation about moths and butterflies. Very enlightening.
Lesley
October 21st, 2016 at 10:01 am
We can butterfly meat. More of a shape shift I think.
Rosemary Kneipp
October 25th, 2016 at 9:32 pm
I didn’t know that expression but I can imagine exactly what it means. Next time I go to the butcher I’ll ask him how to say it in French.
[…] time and energy to do much blogging apart from Loire Daily Photo. I still occasionally write a Friday’s French post (two this month!) and am currently trying to write a series on Secret Blois (two so far […]
Lucien
April 10th, 2017 at 4:27 pm
Thanks Rosemary for taking the time to put these bits and pieces of French language culture together. Yes, language culture, because it is more than learning French. The way you write the articles makes it interesting even for those who are proficient, but just keep digging for the precise meaning of words.
Oh, by the way, I was initally looking for the difference between arbuste and buisson… :)) So, I jumped from the cock to the donkey, didn’t I? 😉
Rosemary Kneipp
April 11th, 2017 at 10:29 pm
I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I find them fun to write. I just wish I had more time. And yes, you did jump from cock to donkey!
That’s an expression I haven’t heard before. I can’t think of an English expression involving butterflies, aside from the standard butterflies in your stomach.
…with Hemingway featuring in the photo. Well done!
Quite by accident of course 🙂
The Butterfly Effect, which I’m sure will have been adopted by French as l’effet papillon. There is also to be a ‘social butterfly’ in English. I don’t know what that would be in French, but the use of butterfly is so apt that I bet the French uses it too.
The French are perfectly correct in their use of papillon for all lepidoptera. There is no good scientific distinction between butterflies and moths, it is just a vernacular convention to refer to night flying leps with feathery antennae as moths and day flying leps with clubbed antennae as butterflies. However there are lots of exceptions, with many day flying moths.
Yes, in French, they say effet papillon as well. A papillon, however, is someone who is fickle rather than what we call a social butterfly.
Thank you for your explanation about moths and butterflies. Very enlightening.
We can butterfly meat. More of a shape shift I think.
I didn’t know that expression but I can imagine exactly what it means. Next time I go to the butcher I’ll ask him how to say it in French.
[…] time and energy to do much blogging apart from Loire Daily Photo. I still occasionally write a Friday’s French post (two this month!) and am currently trying to write a series on Secret Blois (two so far […]
Thanks Rosemary for taking the time to put these bits and pieces of French language culture together. Yes, language culture, because it is more than learning French. The way you write the articles makes it interesting even for those who are proficient, but just keep digging for the precise meaning of words.
Oh, by the way, I was initally looking for the difference between arbuste and buisson… :)) So, I jumped from the cock to the donkey, didn’t I? 😉
I’m glad you enjoyed the article. I find them fun to write. I just wish I had more time. And yes, you did jump from cock to donkey!