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From: Cryptoengineer <petertrei@gmail.com>
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Subject: Re: It is not just Physics that Should be Hard in Hard SF
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2024 08:52:08 -0400
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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