this post has nothing to do with farscape

[schmerica]

Random poll of the day! Tell me, my lovelies, what do you think-- if talking in French to someone he was in a sexual relationship with, would Benton Fraser use the tu form or the vous form?

(I personally am inclined to think he would definitely have used the vous form with Victoria, but I'm not sure if it were Ray Kowalski.)

Second question, for extra bonus points: is it kind of weird that these are the questions that occupy me in the shower these days?

P.S., here is a link to my new favorite Grey's Anatomy George/Izzie story in the history of the world, which was written before last night's episode: Something Better by fox1013. There is banter and scary girls and drinking and platonic sleeping and muppets and stuffed hippos and it is the best thing ever. Trust me.

Comments

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

i think fraser would vous victoria back in the day, and also when she shows up in chicago, but when she comes to his place she switches to tu in his mind at one of the following points: a) when she hits him; b) when he kisses her; c) when he puts his fingers in her mouth.

i think there's no doubt he's called ray vecchio tu from probably about the time they were in the dogsled chase, if not before; and he's called ray kowalski tu always, always, always.

i like what register can do to romantic relationships. marius calls eponine 'tu', but she calls him 'vous'. c'est si tragique!

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

i think fraser would vous victoria back in the day, and also when she shows up in chicago, but when she comes to his place she switches to tu in his mind at one of the following points: a) when she hits him; b) when he kisses her; c) when he puts his fingers in her mouth.

I like this very much!

I remember a point in one of the novels we read in French sophomore year, when the husband of the protagonist accuses her of using tu as a sort of shorthand for having an affair with another man (when actually she and the other man have been using vous with each other all along, and only ever use tu at the very end, before they both die forever because they didn't manage to get their true love together).

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

[reads it again] ... her fingers in his mouth, of course. but, yes. (you know, you'd think a person would be able to keep the pronouns straight when the people involved are of opposite genders, at least.)

:-D