Two times . . . Two times. On the phrase "deux fois:" In White Night Wedding, a romantic comedy playing at Forum Des Halles, the bride-to-be is described as "deux fois plus jeune que" her bridegroom. (I find it un peu creepy that the cinema has "séances" and I can reserve one for myself.) A Szechuan restaurant's name advertises "Deux Fois Plus de Piment," for those who crave spicy food. And a product for women promises to be "deux fois plus petit; deux fois plus discret" (which doesn't rhyme in French.)
"Deux fois" is a happy, optimistic phrase. C'est une bonne chose for a woman to be twice as young as her man. And twice the pepper suggests largesse, rather than remarking on other restau's lacking in the spice department. They are fine--they are one time the pepper. But we are two times. Similarly twice as small has a positivity that "half the size" would not.
I'm definitely keeping a look out for pommes "frites deux fois."
Very nice. But I'm not convinced by the claim that "twice as small" is more "positive" than "half the size". A couple examples:
RépondreSupprimer1a. My paycheck is twice as small as yours.
1b. My paycheck is half the size of yours.
2a. The steak is twice as small as the hamburger.
2b. The steak is half the size of the hamburger.
Do the "a" cases here sound definitely more positive than the "b" cases? I grant that they sound kind of charming, because "twice as small" is an unfamiliar phrase. But I'm not sure about "positive".
But those are examples where it is worse to be small. In the case of the products in question, it is better to be small. And twice as small gets to use the grandiose souding "twice" rather than the pinched (sad horn sound) "half." I do agree it sounds charming too.
RépondreSupprimerI don't think it has to *always* have a positive connotation for Melody's point to hold. All that she needs is for there to be a positive contrast, in the cases she mentions (and similar such cases), between (e.g.) saying the woman is twice as young as her man vs. saying she is half his age. In that case, I think "two times" formulation is much more positive.
RépondreSupprimerYour Frenglish frightens and confuses me. Except the part about pommes frites.
RépondreSupprimerLove the post....although I have a feeling that as your use of French increases over time I'll understand "twice as little."
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