kerouac

Over and over again, I see this mistakenly written as "Chacun a son goût" by English speaking people, including a tattoo around Robbie Williams' chest.

The correct expression is "à chacun son goût" -- "to each his own (taste)."

It is most certainly not "Each has his taste," which is the translation of that other formulation.

I hope some people have learned something.

Nikki

OK, I've learned something about word order (already knew about the "to" vs. "have" thing, but usually type without accents on an American keyboard). Thank you. Now that I've learned my new thing for the day, I will turn off my mind till tomorrow.

lennyba

<It is most certainly not "Each has his taste," which is the translation of that other formulation.>

This would be useful on the "A Modest Proposal" thread over in the Lounge.

Palenque

French son just said "a chacun son gout" sounds really weird to him - having grown up in France he says he never heard that term - he says maybe in Quebec they use that

he says they never never say "a chacun son gout"

on a tous des gouts differents - he says you would say this but a chacun son gout he says is simply ridiculous - he says simply not something anyone would say

???

Padraig

They are possibly a bit different in Orléans. I certainly know kerouac's formulation, and I hear French more often in Brittany than in other parts of France (although I visit the Loire valley often enough, on average one year in three).

When in doubt, I find it best to use a different expression, and I like "on ne discute ni des goûts, ni des couleurs" ("one does not argue about taste or colour"). To my mind, it conveys the idea better.

ira

Hi K,

Well live and learn.

So Strauss got it wrong when he wrote "Chacun à son gout" in Die Fledermaus?

Pvoyageuse

"he says you would say this but a chacun son gout he says is simply ridiculous - he says simply not something anyone would say"

Well, Voltaire wrote it ...........

StCirq

I have never heard it any way other than `a chacun son goût. And I can recall Monsieur Vincent from 5th Grade correcting another student who said chacun à son goût.

Palenque

I find it best to use a different expression, and I like "on ne discute ni des goûts, ni des couleurs" ("one does not argue about taste or colour").>

this he says is used but repeats never heard either version of Kerouac's versions. Tres mysteriuse - he did get honors in French BAC

perhaps it is an archaic expression found mainly in old French literature?

Or maybe in the Loiret, where along with Tourraine they say they speak 'pure French' it is not used?

Padraig

Palenque wrote: "this he says is used ..."

Did you doubt me?

amwosu

This is EXACTLY why all of my tattoos are just pretty pictures- not phrases in languages I don't understand.

Padraig

Your pretty pictures might well correspond with hieroglyphs and constitute an obscene message.

amwosu

True. I got a fleur de lis tat in a shop in the 8th Arr. and while it isn't obscene I understand not everyone is fond of the political symbolism. I didn't really care about old Clovis. I just think its pretty.

elsiejune

Thanks for the chuckle, amwosu.
For what it's worth, this old French major (at a US college) was taught "a chacun son gout", just as kerouac noted. Maybe it's just an Anglo attempt to translate the untranslatable. Oftentimes adages don't translate well between languages, and another adage altogether better captures the meaning. Thank you Padraig and Palenque, "on ne discute ni des gouts, ni des couleurs" is a new one for moi. Always nice to learn something new. Merci, EJ (Please allow for the missing accents. I just can't find an easy way to type them on my keyboard. Any good suggestions out there?)

StCirq

But it's just about an exact equivalent of "to each his own." It's not an issue of adages not translating between languages in this case.

elsiejune

Literal translation, of course it works, stcirq. But if what Palenque's son says is true, then it's not used in conversation to convey "to each his own".

StCirq

I think Palenque's son is just incorrect in this instance. I hear the phrase all the time in France, and it definitely means to each his (own) taste.

elsiejune

Good to know. BTW, have you read "Foreign Tongue" by Vanina Morsot? It's the story of a translator, set in Paris. Lots of French/English word play peppered throughout. I really enjoyed it. EJ

tedgale

I've been clueless all these years it seems. I always thought it was "Chacun a (accent grave) son gout" IE Each to his own taste.

I even used it the other day with -- as I imagined -- withering scorn, on a wordreference.com forum, in an Eng-Fr translation debate.

Live and learn.

StCirq

Yes, I've read Foreign Tongue. Very interesting.