Posted at 6:00 p.m.
The hurricane season officially started on 1er June. The most devastating hurricanes are named to facilitate communication. In a text, names are written in italics, in particular to show that it is not a question of a person. “Texas devastated by Harvey. The sentence is given to the masculine even in the case of a feminine first name, since the name hurricane is implied. ” Ida developed into a tropical storm and continued to track towards Mississippi. »
The names hurricane, typhoon and cyclone (which is written without a circumflex accent, unlike pylon, even if the two words are pronounced the same way) are synonyms, which are however not used interchangeably, but rather according to the place where the storm occurs. ” Katrina is one of the most powerful hurricanes in United States history. ” ” The typhoon Ray caused the death of 208 people in the Philippines. ” ” The cyclone Harold descended on Fiji after devastating the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. »
In English, we call “act of God” the event “attributable to uncontrollable and destructive natural phenomena (earthquake, flood, hurricane, etc.), which insurance contracts do not generally cover”. We will avoid in French the layer “act of God”, preferring the terms natural disaster, case Where event fortuitous Where (case of) force majeure. Terms cataclysm, disaster Where scourge may also be used, depending on the context. Country affected by a cataclysm. The plagues of nature such as avalanches, floods and tidal waves.
The phrase in the eye of the storm is often used in the wrong way, so that when you read it, you don’t really know what it is supposed to mean. L’eye of the storm is actually a zone of calm in the center of the whirlpool. But the expression is rather used today to mean “in the middle of a storm”. To be understood, one should perhaps avoid it. We can write of a person that he lives a lull period or, conversely, that it is in the heart of the storm Where plunge into turmoil.
Cabaret or set?
At work, we serve several meals every day. We use the word cabaret to designate what I call the plateau, to put the meal there. There is also the emergency cabaretthe dressing cabinet… Are these words appropriate?
Answer
In Quebec, the name is still commonly used cabaret within the meaning of plateau. If we use this word, we will still often make ourselves understood. But the Multidictionary of the French language points out that this is an inaccuracy. We will therefore avoid it in writing. Other sources point out that the use of cabaretto designate a “tray or [une] table used to serve coffee, tea, liqueurs” is aged (which does not necessarily mean that no one uses it anymore). In the dictionary Littrewe find the following quotation, from Saint-Simon (he died in 1755, but the first complete edition of his Memoirs date of 1830): We were near several cabarets of tea and coffee; took it whoever wanted.
We may prefer the name plateauwhich is also very frequently used – and understood – in Quebec. Serving breakfast, coffee on a tray. Distribution of meal trays on the plane, at the hospital. Serving tray, cafeteria. Trays for surgeons and dentists (for placing instruments). Sterile trays for medical and surgical instruments.