February 3rd, 2007
The French way with words
My Larousse dictionary reports that “negre” can mean “negro” — but also “ghostwriter.” Or “stooge (said of a writer).”
I am also instructed that “Deuxieme Bureau” (Second Bureau) — the name of the wing of French army intelligence responsible for grasping the enemy’s capabilities — is used quaintly in francophonic Africa to refer to a wife arranging for a concubine to satisfy her husband. The Second Bedroom, as it were.
Martial, marital …
