Quoting and twisting
A proverbe is a fixed sentence carrying a piece of general wisdom. Quoted straight, it often sounds a little old-fashioned today. What is very much alive is the détournement: you alter the proverb, and the punchline comes from the gap between your version and the original. Advertising, headlines and speeches do this all the time.
Original and twist
Original
Mieux vaut tard que jamais.
Better late than never.
Détournement
Mieux vaut tard que jamais… sauf pour le train de 8 h 12.
Better late than never… except for the 8.12 train.
The frame of a proverb
Proverbs preserve old sentence patterns. If you want to twist one, leave that frame standing, because it is what lets readers recognise the original. Five patterns come up especially often.
Five patterns
| Pattern | Proverb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Qui … (= celui qui) | Qui ne dit mot consent. | Silence gives consent. |
| Noun without article | Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide. | Once bitten, twice shy. |
| Mieux vaut … que … | Mieux vaut tard que jamais. | Better late than never. |
| Il ne faut pas … | Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué. | Don't count your chickens before they hatch. |
| À + noun, inversion | À chaque jour suffit sa peine. | Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. |
Watch the images, not just the meaning: English counts chickens, French sells the bear's skin. A twist has to play on the French image, so Il ne faut pas compter ses poussins will not be recognised.
Three techniques
How to twist
- 1
Substitute
Swap a single word; rhythm and frame stay.
- 2
Extend
Quote the original in full and add a punchline, often with mais or ou.
- 3
Reverse
Swap the parts of the proverb round so that a new meaning emerges.
Twisted
Client échaudé craint l'abonnement gratuit.
A customer once bitten is shy of the free subscription.
Substitution. Original – Chat échaudé craint l'eau froide.
Petit à petit, l'oiseau rembourse son crédit.
Little by little, the bird pays off its loan.
Substitution. Original – Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.
Qui ne dit mot consent… ou n'a pas lu le mail.
Silence gives consent… or means they didn't read the email.
Extension.
L'habit ne fait pas le moine, mais il compte à l'entretien d'embauche.
The habit doesn't make the monk, but it counts at a job interview.
Extension. The original means appearances can deceive.
Qui vivra verra, mais qui verra vivra mieux.
Time will tell, but those who see clearly will live better.
Reversal. Original – Qui vivra verra (time will tell); vivre and voir swap places.
