survey - and the word "fortnight".

[Jacques Hausser]

> On Feb 18, 2010, at 6:45 AM, Francis Nugent Dixon wrote:
> 
>> Hi from Brittany,
>> 
>> Mikey,
>> 
>>> BTW, is "fortnight" still used in jolly old Mother England?
>> 
>> Fortnight is still used in jolly Old Mother England,
>> and at least is pertinent (ie fourteen nights = 2 weeks).
>> 
>> In France, they can't count proper like we do !
>> 
>> Two weeks = 15 days (quinze jours)
>> 
>> and
>> 
>> One week = 8 days (huit jours)
>> 
>> Now I know the Beatles sang "Eight days a week"
>> 
>> but this is no excuse .......   :>)


Well, french speaking people are basically generous ! When I was a boy and sent to the farm to buy a dozen eggs, I always got 13 of them: "treize à la douzaine" is (or at least was) a quite current expression.

Jacques

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Prof. Jacques Hausser
Department of Ecology and Evolution
Biophore / Sorge
University of Lausanne
CH 1015 Lausanne
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