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Sun 10 Mar, 2013 06:08 am
She was so foolish with money that her income would not come near covering expenses, and for several months Elizabeth did not even have enough to eat. Then she found a job as visiting teacher of English to the family of a French bank manager. They called her ‘notre mees Anglaise’.
in this paragraph, what does "mees" mean? I can't find it in a French dictionary. Thanks!
@lizfeehily,
Actually, the "mees" sounds like an English speaker imitating a French accent and saying "Miss."
It sounds like the person is playing with words...both French and English...with the English imitation of a French accent...and saying: This is our little Miss English.
Just a guess.
I think Frank may have hit on it. Notre, of course means "our," and Anglaise, an Englishwoman. The English, until quite recently, were rather insistent upon proper forms of address, and an unmarried woman would invariably be addressed as "Miss."
Burmese Days again...
In times gone by French people often used to refer to visiting English men and women with soubriquets such as "miss" "mister" "milord" etc.
@Frank Apisa,
Frank Apisa wrote:This is our little Miss English.
Our little English Miss would be better, I think.
@contrex,
You're right, it's George Orwell, not Roger Hargreaves.
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