[Ads-l] the discreet charm of the circumflex

[Geoffrey Nunberg]

from the blog of the National Front, the diplomat Gabriel Robin in response to the announcement that French school textbooks will be adopting the orthographic “rectifications” that include eliminating most circumflexes:
http://www.frontnational.com/2016/02/notre-orthographe-sacrifiee-lettre-aux-academiciens/

"L'accent circonflexe d'un mot est ce que la moustache est à l'homme. Une particularité irritante pour certains mais charmante pour d’autres.” 

The circumflex on a word is what a mustache is on a man: a feature that’s irritating for some but charming for others. 

Geoff
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org