'Faux-cul' point

February 1, 2015 11:10 am, FM said:

I knew that “faux-cul” literally means “false ass”, but why is it an insult? Apparently this phrase was used in French for what in English was called a bustle, a “framework used to expand the fullness or support the drapery of the back of a woman’s dress”. The French phrase then apparently picked up the extended meaning of “hypocrite” — unless this was an independent development?

Even while knowing the bustle meaning of faux-cul, I’d always assumed its use as an insult was derived from faux-jeton, with cul substituted for jeton for expressive purposes, as very often happens with all manner of swearwords.

In private, sure, but we haven’t gotten to the point where even retired politicians talk this way in television interviews.

This kind of language is certainly not usual in television interviews in France either, but Jean-Marie Le Pen has always been known for his use of strong language and provocative discourse, sometimes resulting in legal action against him.

P.S. The term trombinoscope, dated 1873 by Le Petit Robert is rather frequent in companies, schools and other institutions which keep a photo directory of their members. Its improbable etymology derives from trombine, a colloquial word for English face (somewhat equivalent to mug).

Mark Liberman: So trombinoscope basically means “facebook”!