Supping with the devil....Proverb Check

[pachapapa]

Hi there,I have occasion to use both the english and french in the same communication. I would be interested in any variations on the theme in french.

Therfore bihoueth hire a ful long spoon That shal ete with a feend.
[c 1390 Chaucer Squire's Tale l. 602]
He who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.

He should have a long spoon that sups with the devil
Quand on dîne avec le diable, il faut se munir d'une longue cuiller
  A manger avec le diable, la fourchette n’est jamais trop longue. » (Rég. Bourbonnais)
The last one is of interest with the massif central association and this is perhaps fitting to the Poitou.

[NormanH]

Send it to Nick Clegg [:(]

[mint]

In a few short months, Nick Clegg will be a blip in the nation's memory.

[AnOther]

Who ?

[mint]

touché![:D]

 

[chessfou2]

"In a few short months, Nick Clegg will be a blip in the nation's memory."

Huh? I do hope not. I have been a total cynic about UK politics for 30-odd years (with two extremely brief exceptions - moments of almost inexplicable euphoria) until now.

However, I do currently feel some optimism (triumph of hope over experience? maybe) because both Cameron and Clegg have dared to take enormous political risks which might, just might save the country from its untenable debt position - realistically worse than Greece and much, much worse than Italy (each man, woman and child currently shelling out about £60/month* to service the interest on the national debt while also borrowing about £215/month* to cover the shortfall on unsustainable spending, assuming they don't have any personal debt to worry about on top of all that - national income is about £540bn a year and expenditure is well in excess of £700bn).

I sincerely hope that they may be closer to Disraeli and Lloyd George than many others I could name and if they do end up scuppering their parties, that's fine by me if they achieve the improbable and succeed in saving the country (which has no £750bn Euro/IMF backing to fall back on).

* £43bn divided by 62 million, divided by 12 months & £163bn divided by 62 million, divided by 12 months.

[Swissie]

Forget the politics for a minute - just to say it is nice to see you here chessfou. Like you, I wish this coalition to work - and would like to see the Press off their back to let them get on with it. Why should Politicians always work against each other - in many countries, like mine, coalition and cooperation is seen as a better way of doing things (not that it always works...) Of course nobody wants an Italian style mess, but there must be a better way. And if they can work together and even begin to get out of this dreaddful mess - bonne chance.

[pachapapa]

Get back to thread!![:)]

A bouffer avec le diable, la fourchette n’est jamais trop longue. Is that OK or perhaps in Verlan?

[mint]

Go on then, let's have it in Verlan!

[ericd]

Intersting le Verlan. C'est sa-come quon laipar quand j'etais lardon et les yeuv pigeaient queu dale!

Pour cette traduction verlan du diable, j'avance cette proposition:

A febou avec le bledia, la chetfour n'est pas trop guelon !

[mint]

5-e, as a bit of a verlan expert yourself, can you PLEASE come on here and tell us whether Eric's got it right?[;-)]

[ericd]

I am opened to corrections but i started speaking Verlan when i was 10 years old....fun at the time as people around us would understand "qeutchi" !

[mint]

Oh, Eric, I am sure you've got it spot on.  Sounds good to me anyway.  It's just that 5-e (qui est française) enjoys this kind of language and I am hoping she'd come on the thread.

Come to think of it, she hasn't been around for a while.  5-e, is your computer working, are you locked out of the Forum, what's happening?[;-)]