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For those with even the slightest 蝉辞耻辫莽辞苍 of knowledge of France鈥檚 culinary arts, the word 鈥榖辞耻颈濒濒辞苍鈥� is surely familiar, used to refer to 鈥榮tock鈥� (meat or vegetable) as a base for sauce or soups. However, back in the day, seasoned old hacks of the French press were familiar with a very different appropriation of the word.

Le bouillon was used to refer to left over copies of newspapers 鈥� ie. those unsold (The Connexion is not familiar with this scenario, bien s没r). Figuratively, it was used to describe a publication going through a rough patch: 鈥�prendre un bouillon鈥�, or 鈥�aller au bouillon鈥�, meant that the newspaper was in financial difficulties.

The phrase prendre le bouillon is also used to describe the act of swallowing water (such as when swimming, or a child in the bath), while prendre un bouillon d鈥檕nze heures in the late 18th century referred to someone being poisoned (11pm being the witching hour!).

As for 蝉辞耻辫莽辞苍, it has nothing to do with soup (la soupe). In English we tend to use it to refer to a slight but appreciable bit, a smidgeon. However, in French while it can also refer to 鈥榓 small amount鈥�, it is more commonly employed with reference to its original Latin: to describe suspicion (it derives from the Latin suspicere, to suspect).

According to Larousse, it describes an 鈥渦nfavourable opinion of someone, of their behaviour, based on clues, impressions, intuitions, but without precise proof .鈥�

It also applies to doubts one might have about the authenticity of something or someone鈥檚 sincerity (鈥�J鈥檃i des 蝉辞耻辫莽辞苍s sur sa sinc茅rit茅鈥� 鈥� I doubt his sincerity), a vague idea or pure conjecture.

On the contrary, if someone is deemed beyond reproach, in French they are 鈥�au-dessus de tout 蝉辞耻辫莽辞苍鈥�.

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