il suit des cours, ‘ he attends lectures

24. Tranchons le mot. Say ‘in plain English.’ Pilier is used figuratively, as ‘pillar’ often is in English (‘a pillar of the

La Cigale chez les Fourmis.

Church *). Sarcastically, it is then used in phrases like pilier

estaminet^ ‘ one who is always to be found in taverns.’ In this sense Cliameroy applies the term here to the Sorbonne, an institution in the University of France where public lectures are given, Say Mie is hardly ever away from the Sorbonne.*