Comments on: Comme ci, comme ca

By: Dee-Elle

Dee-Elle — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:01:21 +0000

It always amazes me when someone takes offense to an irrelevant (and in this case obviously tongue-in-cheek) aspect of a post. It is obvious to me (and I assume readers with at least a rudimentary sense of humor) that the original comments about the mother’s ethnic background were not meant seriously, any more than dIscovering one is welsh causes one to be able to quote Dylan Thomas. Seriously, lighten up (hehe)

By: Phillip Gamble

Phillip Gamble — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:50:31 +0000

Okay, I have read enough! Stop deciding whether this poor fellow has an Italian mother. It doesn’t matter, it should nit be your concern. I think you are rude to suggest this is so, and I appreciate the constructive comments.
Though one or two are somewhat frivolous and picky, however it is spelled, this web-string is decidedly So-So!
Nice Tutenkhamun story though loved it!

By: blabls

blabls — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:20:49 +0000

i think the guy knows if his mother is Italian or French. The fact that she uses ” comme si, comme ca” expression doesn’t prove that she’s french. in fact, there are many other non-french speaking people that uses this. ;)
get your facts right :)

By: mary allen

mary allen — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:08:20 +0000

I am neither a linguist nor a multi-linguist, and I find this string funny. as watching “Monk” fill out an electronic answer sheet with little circles that aren’t perfect so he has to erase each one and do it over. This does have more intellectual content and is interspersed with witticisms, but I wonder if you people have anything constructive to do with your time. I say this kindly and with sympathy.

By: MarcVDS

MarcVDS — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:42:02 +0000

I’m from Belgium and my language is french.
We always say “chacun SES goûts”, in english “Everyone has their own tastes”.
Good day to everyone!

By: Alice Diane Kisch

Alice Diane Kisch — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:09:30 +0000

I just discovered your website and have been smiling as I read your note to Clint re “comme ci, comme ça,” which, as a French-speaking person, I can tell you is essentially correct. However, you misspelled “Chacon son gout.” The word is CHACUN, not “chacon,” and the saying is “à chacun son goût,” which translates to “to each his own [taste]“. À part ça, Monsieur, bravo for a great website and thank you!

By: Brian

Brian — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:00:35 +0000

I tell a story to folks that Tutankhamun became famous because he couldn’t decide.

Leaders are supposed to decide. Day after day, leaders are brought problems and they are supposed to decide. If their hand fell, no; if raised, yes. But Tutankhamun was young. He wasn’t always sure. One day he lifted his arm only halfway and turned it slightly downward. At first everyone was confused; leaders don’t do that, but they realized he was a true god and the very first god to say “eh”.

It’s the invention of ‘defer’. Never dared before, leaders were finally off the hook! He’s famous for that. It’s been popular in leadership circles ever since.

By: upvc french doors

upvc french doors — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00:00 +0000

“there are serious doubts about your mother’s supposed Italian heritage” – quality. You’re not the only one doubting it.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:45:21 +0000

Those lyrics were sung by Mario Lanza: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WIKQ_UNY5k

Yael, you left out the accents, which are semantically very relevant in this case because, as you typed it, cosa would be “thing” and cosi would be an improper plural of it. Actually, cosà isn’t a proper word either; it is just kinda paired with così and the expression was likely taken from the French one.

“così cosà” is right and if the characters aren’t available one can make do with cosi’ cosa’ instead.

This comes from one who has been fully living in Veneto for 39 years.

By: nate

nate — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:59:06 +0000

that means “a little a this a little a that.” usually a response when asked “how ya doin?”

By: Yael

Yael — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:33:33 +0000

I was going to point out that the phrase appears – in the form of a song – in the Marx Brothers’ brilliant ‘A Night at the Opera’ (1935)… then decided to google for the lyrics, and found out it’s actually ‘cosi cosa’, which, since the Italian ‘cosi’ is basically the same as the French ‘comme ci’, is probably related.

Cosi Cosa!
It’s a wonderful word tra-la-la-la.
When anyone asks you how you are,
It’s proper to say Cosi Cosa.

Cosi Cosa!
If a lady should ask you if you care,
You don’t have to start a love affair,
Say Cosi Cosa!

Makes me wonder if perhaps that’s what the asker’s mother was saying, and it got mixed up in his memory with other things, or if she said the French version after all.

By: Ken Selvin

Ken Selvin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:00:34 +0000

I would like to point out that this is not necessarily a straight French saying. Italians use this a lot in northern Italy (specifically, areas with the Piedmontese dialect). Because of the exchange of culture over the border, you will find a lot of Piedmontese-speaking Italians saying, “comme ci, comme ca” in the manner described.

(FYI, the Piedmontese dialect is a PAIN IN THE ASS to learn. It’s like a mix of French and Italian. It’s so VERY confusing.)

So I believe that Clint could very well have a full-blooded Italian mother. I also believe that his mother is from northern Italy, near the Italian/French border area. :D

This is coming from someone who goes to Italy every other year to meet his family in Torino (Turin, for those who don’t know it’s Italian name), so I hope I know what I’m talking about.