Dels Top 10 Greatest French phrase of all time
A few years ago i was commissioned by the BBC to write a list of Dels Lingo, its still available on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/onlyfools/lingo/euro.shtml
Today i want to pick the top 10 French phrases.
Generally there are 4 ways to breakdown a Del french phrase
It will score on how wrong the use of it is
Also on it popularity – how often it is used
The hidden history of how Del may of come about the word (often you can only guess)
Finally the punch the word gives when being used will earn points
Outside the top ten phrases included
Mais oui meaning no problem, my pleasure. Del keeps this one for the chicks.
Total French Phrase Score 23
Voila! Del’s French words to say it after T-cutting a square inch of the Capri Ghia, it’s a way of encouraging Rodney to finish the rest of the car off.
Total French Phrase Score 22
Au contraire – French for “hang on a minute”
Total French Phrase Score 21
Moi – French and classy way of saying “me”.
Total French Phrase Score 18
So we now have our top ten
There was nothing between the first three and therefore are all classed as joint 8th
8=. Au revoir
au revoir – French for “hello”.
wrong – 9
Popularity – 8
History – 5
Punch – 3
Total French Phrase Score 25
8=. Bonjour
bonjour – French for “goodbye!”
wrong – 9
Popularity – 8
History – 5
Punch – 3
Total French Phrase Score 25
8=. Mange tout
mange tout- my pleasure, variation to mais oui.
wrong – 7
Popularity – 7
History – 5
Punch – 6
Total French Phrase Score 25
7. Mon dieu!
Mon dieu!- exclamation implying, “you idiot”.
wrong – 6
Popularity – 7
History – 5
Punch – 8
Total French Phrase Score 26
6. Creme de la menthe
creme de la menthe – French for the “very best”
wrong – 8
Popularity – 7
History – 5
Punch – 7
Total French Phrase Score 27
Tomorrow we will see the second half of this list and reveal what we consider to be dles top French phrase. Of course this is a fans site so please let us know whether you agree/disgree and what your top 10 would be.
Mais oui ? My favourite
My favorite DelBoy quote was “Oh mon dieu, Montpellier” :D lol I use it all the time at work :D
My very favourite French phrase Derek Trotter uses is from “The Long Legs of the Law”. It is the first episode from the second series.
When Rodney Brings a police women home after a date. Rodney gives a stolen watch to Sandra the police women as a gift. Since Rodney didn’t know it was stolen, Del-Boy has to try and take the watch back before Sandra Twigs.
Del offers Sandra a drink and to “accidentally” spill it over the watch so he could get it “Repaired”. Del offers the get the watch repaired for Sandra and when Sandra asked “You sure you don’t mind?”, Del says it’s no problem by going “Mind, La Plume de ma tante”. When I first heard that, I couldn’t stop laughing for the rest of the day.