Comme ci, comme ca

Filed Under April 2007, columns 

More or less.

Dear Word Detective: My mother (a full blooded Italian) used to say “come si come sa” (not sure of spelling), and I never knew what that meant. I’ve searched everywhere to no avail. Could you please enlighten me? — Clint.

Take a seat, Clint. I have some possibly rather shocking news. Based on what you’ve told me, there are serious doubts about your mother’s supposed Italian heritage. Believe me, I know just how you feel. For years I presumed I was German because people in my family routinely said “Gesundheit” whenever someone sneezed. It wasn’t until I discovered my dislike of sauerkraut and affinity for cheese on toast that I realized I must be largely Welsh. But I adapted to the news quite well, and now I can quote Dylan Thomas on nearly any occasion (”Time held me green and hey, how about those Mets?”), so I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Anyway, I hope this doesn’t affect your security clearance, but it sounds to me like you’re actually at least part French. “Comme ci, comme ca” (pronounced “kohm see, kohm sah”) is a French phrase meaning, literally, “like this, like that.” In common usage, it means “so so” or “fair to middling,” a term of mild but qualified (and definitely lukewarm) approval, as in “The restaurant got a rave in the Times, but the pan-seared Twinkies the reviewer loved so much were definitely comme si, comme sa.” That which is “comme si, comme sa” is barely adequate, better than nothing but not by much. To use the phrase properly, by the way, you’ll need to extend your palm just above your waist and tilt it from side to side while saying “comme si, comme sa.”

Incidentally, to be absolutely serious for a moment, the fact that your mother used the phrase doesn’t mean that she even knew it was French. While “comme ci, comme ca” is definitely French in origin, it has been in common use in English for long enough (just after World War II, in fact) that it is now considered an established English phrase. Judging by the timing of its appearance in English publications, “comme ci, comme ca” was probably popularized by American GIs returning from service in France.

So, now that you’re in touch with your inner French person, why not sprinkle your speech with a few more “bon mots”? A good French phrasebook will have your friends either green with envy or dialing the funny farm in no time. “Chacon son gout” (shac-un son goo) is a good one, the French equivalent of “tastes vary” or “whatever floats your boat.” But my favorite, for which there is no real English equivalent, is “esprit d’escalier” (literally “wit of the staircase”), meaning the perfect witty reply that pops into your mind just after the opportunity to say it has passed.

 

 

Comments

8 Responses to “Comme ci, comme ca”

  1. marcparis on April 12th, 2007 4:14 pm

    We also say “cou-ci, cou-ça”. Don’t know why, but one online source suggests that is comes from the Italian “cosi cosi”, which means…. comme ci comme ça!

  2. jamesmasonlv on April 13th, 2007 9:50 am

    actually, the expression is pronounced: lespree lescall-e-yay
    (l’esprit l’escalier) (the spirit of the stair(case)

    What it means is that you think of the perfect comment just as you’re descending the staircase as you’re exiting the party on your way home. It’s the French equivalent of “it was right on the tip of my tongue.”

    And it’s not new. But the sentiment is exactly perfect. When I first heard it, I said to myself “Self, I’ve been looking for that exact sentiment my entire freaking life. Whoever came up with that knows me entirely too well. Is this Candid Camera? No, really!”

  3. Joseph DeMartino on April 13th, 2007 2:16 pm

    > But my favorite, for which there is no real English equivalent, is “esprit d’escalier” (literally “wit of the staircase”), meaning the perfect witty reply that pops into your mind just after the opportunity to say it has passed.

  4. Bill Schmeer on April 17th, 2007 9:54 pm

    I grew up in the hard coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania, where there is a large Italian population and I know there is another word or phrase in Italian that means so-so. I’m not sure of the spelling, because I haven’t been able to find it written anywhere. It’s said, mens-a-mens and is sometimes accompanied by a hand gesture in which the edge of the palm is pointed downward, as in shaking hands, then the hand is pivoted at the wrist to alternately show the palm and the back of the hand. And sometimes the gesture is used accompanied only by a vocal “eh” or “aw.”

  5. jbaron on May 3rd, 2007 2:28 pm

    Maybe you are thinking of “mezza mezza,” which means “half half.” In other words, half good, half not so good. I’ve heard many different pronunciations, depending on the region of origin of the speaker (or his ancestors). My Italian family is Neapolitan, so we would say “mentza-mentz” leaving off the final syllable. But I’ve heard people say “metsa mets” and “meza meza” and many other variations. I suppose the farther away you get from Italy and its influence, the more variations you will hear.

    However, the accompanying gesture, as you describe it, is almost always the same, if a gesture is used. What Italian could speak without using hands, anyway?

  6. david305 on May 20th, 2007 1:47 pm

    Enjoying your site, decidedly; I especially appreciate the humor.
    The French research team needs a refresher, though:

    The phrase is not “Chacon son gout”.

    Rather, it is

    “Chaqu’un à son goût.” (Lit., “Each one to his taste.”

    The equivalent Latin phrase was
    ” De gustibus non disputandum.”
    Roughly, “About tastes, it is not to be argued.”

    Cheers,
    David

  7. marcparis on June 12th, 2007 4:27 pm

    David305:
    Except that the expression is usually rendered by English speakers “chacun a son goût” (each person has his taste) and not “chacun à son goût” which doesn’t really mean anything. And of course it’s “chacun” not “chaqu’un” (non existent). But in any case, the French expression is normally: “à chacun son goût”, which has the meaning you give (to each his taste).

    Similarly, we say “les goûts et les couleurs” (tastes and colors), short for “les goûts et leur couleurs, cela ne se discute pas” (tastes and colors, you just can’t dispute them).

  8. words1 on January 22nd, 2008 2:38 am

    I’m afraid that importing those comments from the old blog has hopelessly scrambled them. Sorry about that.

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