![]() Toucher la peau du singe (literally, "touch the monkey’s skin") is used for exactly the same reason, but you say it while touching a friend’s head. Note that une tête de bois = stubborn / hard-headed person. When there’s no wood around, the French say je touche du bois while touching their own heads. – I just got married, I have an interesting and well-paid job … my life is perfect. – Je viens de me marier, j’ai un emploi intéressant et bien payé … ma vie est parfaite. Par exemple… Tout va bien pour le moment, je touche du bois.Įverything is going well at the moment, knock on wood. Wherever you’re from, there’s a good chance that when talking about how well something is going, you start to feel a little uneasy until you knock on or touch something made of wood. Obama, Boehner, Clinton and McConnell, try to work touché a little bit more into your vocabulary.Usage notes: Are you superstitious – even just a little? If so, you’ll find the French expression toucher du bois very handy, as it’s the French equivalent of "knock on wood" for Americans and "touch wood" for Brits. The United States was built on compromise, and the astounding inability of contemporary politicians to give even an ounce of effort into working with the other side, be it Democrat or Republican, is staggering. Touch (pronounced tue too-shay) is a French word that is used in the English language. In a time when political differences means complete and utter gridlock in Washington, the ability to cede ground is invaluable. This idea doesn’t just apply to novel arguments like which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle is the best (obviously Leonardo), but politicians especially could learn a few things from touché. When someone says touché, they are signifying that their opponent has made a good point, something that they didn’t think of. If that happens, the argument can’t move on. What does touché do to this idea of enlightened debate? One of the most important aspects of a discussion is being able to admit when you’re wrong. The true socratic method is a type of discussion that heavily focuses on questioning “the other side” to stimulate critical thinking and to actually get somewhere in the conversation, to learn something new and to gain a new perspective. Most students associate with sitting in a large circle in their classroom trying to get a word in the discussion but someone louder than you always seems triumph over you. ![]() ![]() I propose the socratic method of discussion and debate. The “winner” got a chance to stroke their ego, and the “loser” feels dumb. ![]() What does this sort of debate achieve? Absolutely nothing. What is a debate? Common convention dictates that a debate is when two people who are on opposite sides of a viewpoint try to outmaneuver one another until they feel that they have proved their point. I know that sounds silly, but hear me out. When two opposing viewpoints meet, it should be a collaboration. Why is this word so beautiful? This word is the culmination of everything a debate is supposed to be.Īll too often, arguments turn into heated shouting matches where whoever is louder “wins.” That is not what a debate should be. In an argument, touché means that you’re admitting that they made a good point, or when someone has made a good comeback. Origin of Touche French, literally touched, past participle of toucher. When you hit your opponent in fencing, they say touché to signify a point against them. Or is it French? Well it doesn’t matter, what’s important is the word itself. Touché is the most beautiful word in the English language.
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