Diantre! The dickens (I did)\ Euphemism for </i

Pagre 20. — i. Palsanguenne! A corruption of par le sang de Dieu. Translate: By goshî

2, je i>ense qu'il réussira, etc. It bas been thougbt that Molière intendtd this as a reproach for the cold réception that had been given his serious comedy, le Misanthrope,

ACT II The scène of Act II is a room in Géronte's house.

Page 21. — I. morguennel il faut tirer, etc., by jingoî Nobody can beat this one; lit., * it is necessary to take away the ladder after this one \ i.e. figuratively,. when this man has gone up the ladder and done the work, it is unnecessary for any one else to go up. For morguenne^ cf. page 13, note i. Ceti-là = cetui-là^ archaic, = celui-là.

2. ne v's en déplaise, saving your présence ; begging your pardon ; lit., 'may it not displease you in the matter'. — qu'il a . . . coup de hache . . . tétei that he*s a Utile bit cracked in the upper story, The regular idiom is avoir un coup de marteau^ * to hâve a bloW of ham> mer', but since Sganarelle is a woodcutter, Lucas thinks coup de hache^ 'blow of axe', more fitting.

3. tout fin drait = tout fin droite right straight on or along, Livet pites several cases in which tout fin is used, as hère, to express the §uperlative degree.

Page 22. — I. ceti-ci = celui-ci; cf. page 21, note i, JaçquelÎDf 's Frençb 19 çyon W9r9ç ths») Lucas'.

p. lili-24] NOTES 53

2. queussi queumi, six of the one and half a dozen of the others. The etymology of this expression is uncertain.

3. ce n'est pas . . . nez, it isnUfor you to pake your nose in there.

4. Je VOUS dis . . . douze, an untranslatable pun based on the similarity in pronunciation of dis and dix: 'I tell (ten) you and twelve you*. Translate: I tell yoti,

5. n'y feront rian (rien) . . . Piau (eau) claire, will do her no more good than plain water.

6. qu'on s'en youlût charger, for any one to want to burden htm' self with her,

7. Que ne preniais-yous . . .? = Que ne preniez-vous , , ,? Que ne . . . /* ■=. pourquoi ne , , , pas , . ,?