John Bull, Junior - Part 28
Library

Part 28

13. _Gare du Nord_, "Great Northern Railway Terminus," in Paris (celebrated for its Cloak Room, where, on his arrival from England, John Bull deposits his baggage of superfluous virtue).

16. _Tres bien, Monsieur_, "Very well, sir." (I owe to the reader many apologies for translating such an _idiomatic_ phrase as this.)

19. _Qui frise ses cheveux et la cinquantaine_, literally, "Who curls her hair and fifty summers." (The word _friser_ means both "to curl" and "to border on." I hope the reader will see the joke.)

21. _Recherche_, "refined."

22. _Planche_, "a plank."

33. _Allons me voila sauve_, "Now I am saved."

41. _Migraine_, "Sick headache," an indisposition to which French ladies are subject, when they are reading a novel and do not wish to be disturbed by callers.

48. _Elle se retira...._ "She retired to her room and prepared for bed. But who could sleep? Sleep!"

48. _Celui qui ecrit_, literally "He who writes."

49. _Poitrine_, "chest" (part of the body). _Calecons_ (unmentionables).

49. _Il feutra, il gaucha_, formed from the nouns _feutre_ ("felt,"

material) and _gauche_ ("left,"contrary of "right").

51. "Look at Pierrot hanging Because he did not restore the book; If the book he had restored Pierrot wouldn't have been hanged."

FAC-SIMILE OF JOHN BULL, JUNIOR'S, EXERCISE.

1. Europe is a part of the world.

2. Asia is a part of the world.

3. Africa is a part of the world.

4. America is a part of the world.

5. My father is in France.

6. My cousin is in Germany.

7. Your brother is in Dresden.

8. Where is thy sister? She is in Paris.

54. _Egal_, "Equal."

55. _Savoir_, "to know." The future is _je saurai_.

57. _Vouloir_, "to want." The future is _je voudrai_.

63. _Je serai_, "I shall be."

_Je serais_, "I should be."

73. The feminine words respectively mean "trumpet," "medicine," "navy,"

"sculpture," whereas the masculine names respectively mean "trumpeter,"

"doctor," "sailor," "sculptor." This is an old examination question, a time-honored chestnut of the University of London.

73. _Restait cette redoutable infanterie...._ "There remained the redoubtable infantry of the Spanish army, whose big close battalions, like so many towers, but towers that could repair their own gaps, stood unshaken in the awful din of battle and fired from all parts" (with my apologies to the shade of Bossuet).

74. _La fille de feu...._ "The daughter of my good and esteemed deceased cousin is always welcome."

74. _Mon frere...._ "My brother is wrong and my sister is right."

74. _Elle part.i.t...._ "She left the following morning."

75. _Diable!..._ "Good heavens! the old man is capricious!"

76. _Je laisse Renaud...._ "I leave Renaud in the gardens of Armida."

(The worthy boy took _Renaud_ for _Renard_, a fox--that's near enough.)

76. _Chaque age a ses plaisirs._ "Each age has its pleasures."

77. _Les exploits d'Hercule...._ "The exploits of Hercules are mere play compared to."

77. _Monsieur, ne vous retournez pas._ "Sir, do not look round."

78. _Il raccommodait...._ "He mended old shoes."

78. _Baissant les yeux_, "Casting down her eyes."

84. _Dimanche_, "Sunday."

84. _Manche_, near enough to _manger_ (to eat) for Johnny.

84. _Cordon bleu_, skilful cook. (Teetotalers in England wear blue ribbons, hence the boy's confusion.)

89. _Baccalaureat-es-sciences_, degree of B.Sc.

92. _Avec de belles dents...._ "With fine teeth never was a woman ugly."

93. _Arriver, naitre, venir, sortir, partir_, "to arrive," "to be born," "to come," "to go out," "to set out."

120. _Savate_, boxing and kicking; _canne_, cane (fencing expression).

135. _Avez-vous du mal?_ "Are you hurt?" The Englishman understands _Avez-vous deux malles?_ "Have you two trunks?"

135. _Garcon, j'ai faim_, "Waiter, I'm hungry."

138. _Ses amis_, "his friends." _Seize amis_, "sixteen friends."

146. _Quelle heure est-il?_ "What o'clock is it?" _Comment vous portez-vous?_ "How do you do?"

152. _Qu'il n'est pas necessaire...._ "That it is not necessary to know any thing of a subject to speak on it."

153. _Lycee_, "French public school."

159. _Un ami a musique_ would mean a friend who could give off a tune by being pressed _upon_.