![]() Indeed, although less common, the term can also be used to refer to his or her partner. The expression is used in a friendly and platonic way in most cases, but it can also be used romantically. “Mon ami” is the expression used to designate a close friend, a person who is dear to us. The feminine version of the expression, “mon amie”, is pronounced the same way when spoken, but will take the mark of the feminine (the – e) when written. It is a noun phrase that refers to a male individual with whom one has a friendship. The term ” ami ” comes from the Latin ” amicus “, itself derived from the verb ” amare ” which means ” aimer ” (=to love). Mon ami (or mon amie, the feminine version) means in English “My friend”. What does the expression “mon ami” mean in French? Expressions derived from ” mon ami ” (my friend).How is “mon ami” used in everyday language in France?.What does the expression “mon ami” mean in French?.The word is perhaps a relic of a more formal time, but lives on nonetheless perhaps because its noble sounding vibe offers something unique. Q: So it’s really more like “you SUNK my battleship!”Ī: Yep. ![]() Most importantly, “touché” typically brings the exchange to a close – the speaker acknowledging what was said as a worthy final blow. Q: So, to recap, it’s really just a fancy way of saying “I’ll pay that”, “sick burn” or “good point” in response to a witty reply or an astute observation?Ī: It is. So, you say it much like a tennis player might clap the opponent for a good shot?Ī: Exactly! It’s a form of etiquette that adds a level of civility to the discourse and in a “battle of wits”, it is the acknowledgement of a worthy hit.Ī: Yes, dinner party conversation is just like marine warfare. ![]() What Macquarie Dictionary describes as “a telling remark or rejoinder”. And it works in a similar way, except instead of a touch from a sabre, the speaker is acknowledging a different sort of hit. And seeing as dinner parties do seem to make up approximately 92% of all occurrences of “touché!”, we should explain the broader meaning.Ī: It actually didn’t take long to manifest – recorded from 1907, just 10 years after the sporting term. Q: That’s all very well, but there aren’t a lot of sabres at dinner parties.Ī: Yes, well observed. So the person doing the hitting doesn’t announce it?Ī: No, it’s the receiver. In this case, it was the past participle of “toucher” – essentially the English equivalent would be saying “I have been hit/touched”. The word “touché” followed soon after in English – first appearing in 1897 as the acknowledgement of a hit during a fencing match.Ī: Precisely. Well, fencing as a sport took hold during the 1700s, but it was the first Modern Olympics in 1896 that elevated it. He almost went to the Olympics.Ī: Oh! Okay. My Uncle Dwayne owns a farm and spends most of his days fencing.Ī: Actually, we mean the combat sport of fencing, with weapons such as sabres or foils. “To hit” is the clue here – it actually comes from fencing. It’s where we get the English word “touch” from – all the way back in the early 1300s.Ī: It’s much newer. The word comes from Old French “touchier” – meaning to hit. It’s French? Something to do with touching?Ī: That’s mostly correct. It’s a celebration of language, masquerading as a passive-aggressive whinge about words and weirdness.
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