Way OT: "Mademoiselle from Armentieres"

Sat Aug 2 17:25:33 UTC 2014

I knew a few verses back in the 1970's. I remember one about not being able to propose to her properly because the singer could no longer bend his knee.

My recollection was that the whole thing was a kind of joke about the fact that she was unattractive but they were after her anyway, being starved for comfort - like that later song about army food, whatever it was? The biscuits in the army, they say they're mighty fine...?

--
Kate

On Aug 2, 2014, at 6:01 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Way OT: "Mademoiselle from Armentieres"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Am finishing a pedantic study of this once-famous WW1 song, which I
> mentioned here many years ago.
> 
> I was surprised recently when a somewhat younger colleague admitted to
> having heard the name at one point but knew nothing whatever beyond that.
> Nothing.
> 
> OK, silly question: does the song or the name have any particular
> associations for members of this distinguished forum? (Beyond the fact that
> the Mlle. hadn't been kissed in 40 years.)
> 
> The popular image is/was that, being French, she was some kind of sex
> kitten.  Yet the only verse most people know suggests the opposite.
> 
> I'm interested in the Mademoiselle as Rohrschach test. The song was a big
> deal 100 years ago and was frequently commented on in the postwar press.
> Has it any resonance left?  Does anyone here know more than the best-known
> stanza? (There once were many.)
> 
> If the subject is too far afield for the list, email me.
> 
> JL
> 
> -- 
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> 
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