I am reading a book by Peter Mayle, Provence A-Z, which gives a version of the origin of to fanny. To fanny someone in petanques is, as I said, to beat someone 13-0. A kiss from the waitress of the local cafe was the consolation prize for the unfortunate loser of the game. The original site of the kiss was the cheek, but the target changed to altogether different cheeks. A similar version appears on the attached web site.
http://www.laboulebleue.fr/la-fanny-s36
Not many people know that. Probably not many people want to know that.
I must get one of those plaques.
Monday, 10 May 2010
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A kiss from the waitress...? I guess you'll be deliberately losing that next game by 13-0 then Marcel...?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how that would go down if one suddenly appeared at the Napiet Pétanque Club! It could be fun. Unfortunately everyone would guess where it had come from.
ReplyDeleteMmmm!
ReplyDeleteI thought fanny was an american word, not a French one
ReplyDelete