Re: It is not just Physics that Should be Hard in Hard SF

On 10/21/2024 11:52 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:09:37 -0000 (UTC), Don <g@crcomp.net> wrote:
 

Robert Woodward wrote:

William Hyde wrote:

Don wrote:
>

Bobb[ie] Sellers, how do you imagine Poirot's being Belgian precludes his
(and Christie's own) Francophilia? Or perhaps, as you see it, their
Francophilia is also imaginary? (In the latter case we'll agree to
disagree.)

>
>
Read the books, and you will understand.
>

>
It has been a few decades since I have read any of the Hercule Poirot
stories, but I don't remember any comment that he was a Francophone.
That he almost certainly was one was obvious.

>
It's fun for fiction fans to fuss budget over the nuances of Poirot's
psychological proclivity for French. (Christie's own Francophilia's
beyond doubt, at least for me.)
    Regardless, ratiocination's ready to resolve this riddle.
POIROT'S EARLY CASES is a favorite, packed with Poirot parlance. The
stories are splendidly sprinkled with Fench. He uses Mon Dieu! (My God!)
in four of the stories:
>
    "The Affair at the Victory Ball"
>
        'Aha!’ said Poirot. 'Aha! Mon Dieu! Japp, that gives one
        to think, does it not?'
>
    "The Double Clue"
>
        'What a woman!’ cried Poirot enthusiastically as we
        descended the stairs. 'Mon Dieu, quelle femme!'
>
    "The King of Clubs"
>
        'Mon Dieu, I cannot always be talking blood and thunder!’
>
    "The Lost Mine"
>
        "He turned up that evening - Mon dieu, what a figure!"
>
"Parbleu!" (Heavens above!) is used in three stories. These examples
illustrate how Poirot reverts to French when surprised. Such behavior
indicates French serves as his mother tongue.

 As one would expect of a (French-speaking) Belgian.
 You did know that Belgium is linguistically mixed, right?

I lived in Belgium for 6 years in the 70s, in Waterloo. I
could see the monument from my house.
The north speaks Dutch, and the people are 'Flems'
The south speaks French, and the people are 'Walloons'.
There was more than a little friction when I was there.
Brussels is officially bilingual, but in practice is a
French island surrounded by Dutch speakers (the border
is about 10 miles south of town).
There's also a small area in the far east of the country
which speaks German.
pt