What 'the funny bone' in French

[nectarine]

You know that bit on your elbow that, when you knock it, gives a quite unique sensation that we call the 'funny bone'? Well, what is it called in French please? Someone told me it was called 'le petit Juif' and, when I mentioned it to my doctor, his eyebrows shot up! So clearly it's not that, then. But most grateful if somebody could clarify ... I'm not even sure what the correct name is in English ? ulnar nerve?

Thanks all.

[Gardengirl]

Petit juif in my Hachette!

[suein56]

Word Reference seems to agree; with nerf ulnaire for the anatomical phrase.

Sue

[Chancer]

Perhaps its no longer in decent circles acceptable to use race in slang or familiar terms.

The use of Juif and Arab always grate with me as they are never used in a positive sense.

My ex who was someone who was always exemplary in her speech and comportment onec visited me while I was eating and commented 'tu manges  en juif!" when I asked her what she meant and she said it was to eat alone which confused me as I always eat alone [8-)]

Turns out both that and the petit juif are péjoratives as they are both mentioned here.

http://www.cafebabel.fr/politique/article/petit-juif.html

When you read the explanation for funnybone you will understand why the Doctors eyebrows raised, i think for many people in French society it will be several more générations before they realise that they innocently use racist terms, do you remember the Renault clio advert where the girl playfully calls her boyfriend un arab?

Filer à l'anglaise is another but then we are just as bad with taking French leave.

[mint]

I know it's, strictly speaking, not the nerve as such but I thought humerus in English describes it?

Different spelling but I did think that "funny bone" comes from the latin humerus and it got bastardised to funny as in humourous.

It's years since I have thought about this one so I'll do some googling