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The Thom(p)sons' motto

#1 · Posted: 20 Apr 2007 00:10

"Mum's the word!" ... "Quite right, dumb's the word! That's our motto!"

I say, does anybody know what the original French version of this "pun" is? I ask because I want to reconnect with my long-neglected French learnings.

Gracias.

(And yes I am still obsessing over the Thompsons, if anyone cares. I am also roistering over Bianca Castafiore! She and the Thompsons are tied for first place in my list of favorite characters.)

Isabel a marche sur la lune
Member

#2 · Posted: 20 Apr 2007 05:45

"Motus et bouche cousue", "Botus et mouche cousue"

Translated quite literally as:
-Motus:the french equivalent of 'mum' or something that we are to keep silent about
-Bouche cousue: 'mouth stitched or sewn'
-Botus: i believe 'botus'is a nonsense word and i cannot find a definition or meaning for it
-Mouche cousue: fly or insect stitched or sewn.

waveofplague
Member

#3 · Posted: 20 Apr 2007 18:16

Thanks, Isabel a marche sur la lune! That's pretty clever of Herge. I have also never seen nor heard of "Botus."

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