Francophones, m'aident, et merci pour le Inaugural

[ankhorite]

...“very jolie-laide.” That’s a French term for a woman who is oddly attractive though not conventionally beautiful. And that, says Doonan, “is very much what is happening in fashion right now.”

Francophones, mes amis, is this true? Is this a common phrase?

zho-LEE-lide? rhymes with goalie-died?

EDIT: ZHO-lee-LED, rhymes with goalie-dead

Comments

[tx_cronopio]

I'm pretty sure it means pretty/ugly, i.e., something so ugly that it's beautiful. Pretty much what you said, but maybe a tad stronger.

I dunno, let's hear from the rest of you!

[just_the_ash]

zho-lee LED, like "Oh, me! Bed!"

Like Gérard Depardieu. He's so damn homely he comes nearly all the way around to being cute again. Like some dog breeds.

Oh, me! Bed!

[ankhorite]

Eh, thanks! I should have quoted further back, so you'd know the speaker mentioned pug dogs specifically as an example of jolie-laide.

When you mention him in this context, Depardieu puts me in mind of a Neopolitan Mastiff. I adore them. I'm a bit leery of him.

Oh! Go to my post before this one with the hamster hanging photo, and see what Pshaw found in the comments. Very you!

[boreality]

Laide is pronounced exactly like "lead" as in pipe.

I've actually never heard the expression used undersatnd the jist. Maybe its more France French than French Canadian?

Jolie-laide, as in lead pipe

[ankhorite]

Aha! Thank you! Hadn't thought about the geography of it.

Re: Jolie-laide, as in lead pipe

[e4q]

i have heard of it, so maybe it is geographically/culturally specific. i heard it pronounced as lady, but then the english are always messing with french. it goes all the way back to the norman conquest.

the speaker was refering to me as one. i did not take it as a compliment.

Re: Jolie-laide, as in English Lady

[ankhorite]

MROWR!! I should say not!

Hrumph!

[diggerlicious]

Huh! It sounds like the Chinese expression for a "not so pretty woman", which translates to "she has nice handwriting".

Jolie-laide, Chinese Style

[ankhorite]

Ah, to damn with irrelevant praise.

Sounds a little like the Fat Lady Compliment: "Oh, you have such beautiful skin!"

Unspoken (usually): "And so much of it!"

Re: Jolie-laide, Chinese Style

[e4q]

nice.

i have never heard that fat lady compliment before, but i like it. it would be more sincere to add the unspoken bit and be a bit fetishistic about it.

[mehitabelmmoss]

I've heard it (lived 2 years in France. Laide is pronounced ledd.
It means pretty/ugly.

Now did you hear about the NYC modeling agency that specializes in Ugly?

Modeling Ugly

[ankhorite]

::: facepaw :::