Comments on: The Smart Set http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/03/09/the-smart-set/ A National Blog of Literature & Discussion Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:27:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Caroline Guindon http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/03/09/the-smart-set/#comment-12 Caroline Guindon Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:41:24 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/03/09/the-smart-set/#comment-12 As an anglicism, the word has become "smatte" in Québec French and has the 2 following meanings, according to the Colpron, Nouveau dictionnaire des anglicismes: 1) être smatte: gentil, aimable, serviable, habile 2) chercher à faire le smatte: briller, se montrer drôle, spirituel, se faire valoir. How this became the case, I really can't say and I am not sure how Proust's influence played out (!). I just know that, as weird as this must sound to most francophile ears untrained in "quebecisms", this is how I know the word is used in my dialect. As an anglicism, the word has become “smatte” in Québec French and has the 2 following meanings, according to the Colpron, Nouveau dictionnaire des anglicismes:
1) être smatte: gentil, aimable, serviable, habile
2) chercher à faire le smatte: briller, se montrer drôle, spirituel, se faire valoir.

How this became the case, I really can’t say and I am not sure how Proust’s influence played out (!). I just know that, as weird as this must sound to most francophile ears untrained in “quebecisms”, this is how I know the word is used in my dialect.

]]> By: David Lee Rubin http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/03/09/the-smart-set/#comment-10 David Lee Rubin Fri, 10 Mar 2006 17:05:25 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2006/03/09/the-smart-set/#comment-10 “UnSmart.” . . . The late John Cairncross—eminent Molière scholar, translator of Racine for Penguin, and apologist for polygamy—was also the Fifth Man in the Cambridge Spy Ring, receiving the Order of the Red Banner from Stalin for his contribution to the pivotal Soviet victory at Kursk. In a masterstroke of ambiguity, one mole journalist described Cairncross as "unsmart", which neatly summed up the spy's wardrobe and personal hygiene (deplorable), his tradecraft (non-existent), as well as his political judgment (erratic at best). “UnSmart.” . . . The late John Cairncross—eminent Molière scholar, translator of Racine for Penguin, and apologist for polygamy—was also the Fifth Man in the Cambridge Spy Ring, receiving the Order of the Red Banner from Stalin for his contribution to the pivotal Soviet victory at Kursk. In a masterstroke of ambiguity, one mole journalist described Cairncross as “unsmart”, which neatly summed up the spy’s wardrobe and personal hygiene (deplorable), his tradecraft (non-existent), as well as his political judgment (erratic at best).

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