You open your book with a tribute to your deceased mother who unfortunately did not have time to have the book in her hands. Why did you want it?
“Ultimately, it is thanks to her if this book exists. Since my childhood, I have been immersed in a privileged circle of love of words. I have never found, even in the most prestigious French media, the richness lexical language used by my mother to express herself, without this mother, no studies to become a 'novelist' and no appearance later on Jérôme Colin's show on La Première with my section on the history of words. …”
Did we read a lot at home when you were growing up?
“A lot and we were encouraged to do so. But I am disappointed in my brain because I must have read thousands of pages and it seems to me that I have learned nothing… It's lamentable! But hey, it seems that we let's still keep something imprinted in the deep layers of our brain.”
Given your love for the French language, we are eager to know your position in the current debate on the ban on inclusive writing at school.
“Everything that moves the French language, which has its little stiffnesses it must be said, is positive. We must kick its ass! The question that you raise here concerns a real social debate and it is quite complicated to have a firm position. I am sometimes surprised by the reach of the tentacles, in the noble sense of the term, of current feminism. I have the impression that there are things more urgent than this midpoint, such as women's safety. , access to employment, equal pay… That we think about it seems rather healthy to me.”
A new writing that could leave some children stranded…
“The difficulty of readability caused by this possible reform indeed raises questions. Children are already lost in the face of French spelling which is an ordeal, others suffer from dyslexia or any other 'dys'… This can be considered as a clutter.”
Poor reading level, poor spelling, poor vocabulary… Younger generations no longer seem to find our language sexy. What to do?
“Don't worry too much… Of course, I notice that the world before expressed itself much better. However, the vitality of our language which is regularly inflated with new words is still excellent. I am both reactionary because I find it a shame that certain words are no longer used or are incorrect and, at the same time, I find it fascinating to no longer understand the language spoken by my son and his friends (Laughs)!
Who is to blame then: parents, schools, young people?
“Is there only one person at fault? I don't know… On the other hand, I find it a shame that schools, as students no longer read much, instead favor easy reading. We therefore lose this approach to the great classics of literature which until now constituted a common heritage base, a complicated subject, I admit, for me, at home, it is also necessary for dad and mom to encourage us to cut ourselves off from screens and read for two hours. . But we know all our lives… I would like to point out that in my opinion, the brains of young people are not in danger and neither is the future of humanity, but the rapid change is a little hard to digest!
Your book tackles the underbelly of the French language by dissecting the origins of 200 words. Grab one at random to convince DH readers to buy it!
“Already, for myself, the origin of certain words is sometimes a surprise. The word porcelain is quite funny in this regard. Ceramics brings to mind something refined like the tea ceremony. But when we wear a porcelain cup on the lips, in reality we have a sow's vulva in the mouth… The word at the base comes from a smooth and shiny shell. This is why we gave this name to chic earthenware. THE shell is oblong and split in its center, in ancient times, it received this name for its resemblance to a sow's vulva, therefore leading to porcelain.
We can peck through your book. It is ideal for the little corner, for the bedside table, the car storage compartment…
“All of these places are perfect. My favorite is probably the toilet. Unfortunately, we often go there with our phone. It's true, this book is totally made to dive in at any time.”
“In the bubble of…”: Why Joëlle Scoriels asks her guests to come with clean socks and no holes in her new show
Joëlle’s Christmas? “The least relaxing period”
We met the lively host during this holiday season, so we took the opportunity to do 'Joëlle's Christmas'!
Are you part of the Advent calendar team?
“For my two children, there is no negotiation possible. You need a calendar with little chocolates. Me, as I have a tendency to eat poorly, I try to stay as far away from their Advent calendar.
We are just a few days away from Christmas Eve. What's on the agenda at your house on December 24?
“I'm 46 years old and for 45 years the program has been very simple: it's New Year's Eve with the family with stuffed turkey, seafood as a starter or a bisque, a pretty tablecloth, a beautiful well-set table… In short, a great classic for a Belgian family But, this year, for the very first time in my life, it will not be this program… I will not be in Belgium and therefore not with my family for this moment.”
You admit to being a fan of sausages and other puddings in your book. So it's a blessed time for you with the famous Christmas puddings.
“You know I treat myself all year round! I found a little foie gras pudding in the local market near my house which is superb. The foie gras is not too dominant, it's even light. I brown it slowly so that the skin becomes a little crispy. I am indeed delighted, I am living my best life at the moment!”
What does Christmas represent to you: a simple 'tradition' that is passed down from generation to generation?
“I don't really know what to think about my connection to religion during this holiday. Coming from a Catholic family, we went to mass every December 24. As I became an adult, I moved away from religious practice a little and faith. However, I do not make it a pagan celebration, I remind my children what it is about, what we celebrate. I also keep within myself the positive aspects in the religion. exist alongside other things more atrocious.”
Gifts: do you open them at midnight sharp or at aperitif?
“As it is multi-service at our house for the Christmas meal, because people can go to mass and then come back, and we eat really late, it's a bit of a time! It's midnight and turkey finishes cooking and we can't take it anymore… It's an ordeal (laughs).”
What purpose does this time of year actually serve you?
“It's the least relaxing vacation with a string of at least two parties! We all rushed to finish things that had to be completed before the end of the year. We're also going to plan a whole series of meals with those which we perhaps see less often… It’s excruciatingly busy in reality, but it’s still a lot of human warmth and closeness with people!”
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