spider Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 After it was pointed out that my wife waving "hello" to people might be perceived as a distress signal. it was suggested that if you really wanted to wave to someone you could could perhaps use the "Queens wave" I had never heard of it...others from Quebec readily knew the term.....I did mention in the states that we have another kind of special "wave" but it uses far less upright fingers, and we never use it on paddling trips. They were also quite familiar with that as well...Ever hear of that expression..or perhaps other regional expressions from most anywhere ?I know when we ask about "white caps" no one knows what we are talking about...but if I were to ask if there are "many sheep on the water" (roughly "mouton de mer ? ) well then people would surely know instantly what we were asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spuglisi Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Yes! The queens wave. Hand held upright...with a rotation of the wrist, to and fro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Oddly, or perhaps not, I seem to recall folks on Isle Au Haut tend to use the Queen's wave."mouton de mer" What a nice phrase. Come to think of it, that is what I become when I am paddling and there are many of them around.Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfolster Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 What a great name for a boat! Mouton de la mer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 ...I did mention in the states that we have another kind of special "wave" but it uses far less upright fingers, and we never use it on paddling trips. They were also quite familiar with that as well....Probably false but this is funny http://www.jerrypournelle.com/reports/jerryp/yew.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gcosloy Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 This is terrific, but its probably apocryphal. If Shakespeare didn't use it in Henry V its got to be doubted. Can you imagine his St Crispin's Day Speech including this: "We lucky few say to the French 'pluck yew'"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 I have heard variations of the story mostly English peasants showing the English King that their fingers remain. Interestingly enough the big english swear word means nothing (or little) to them. As our swear sounds Identical to the french word.....Seal.Baleine for whales...phoque for seals...most of us know sayings... like 3 sheets to the wind... I figure other counties use many of the same sayings..and a few we would find quite odd.....I like the similarity of what we become when there are many mouton on the water...never thought of it that way...it does bring a chuckle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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