How are you all doing?
I looking for any definitions or any references that can give background on the following French expression, which is one of those foreign phrases used in American English:
cri d'amourIt is mentioned in WikiPedia.org as a French phrase commonly used in English writing and speech. However, I can find no definitions, and no references to its use, anywhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_words_and_phrases_used_by_English_speakersOf course, the word for word translation is "cry of love". However, word for word translations from French to English are frequently misleading, or fail to reveal important idiomatic meanings or poetic allusions.
I can only guess at the likely literal meanings of "cri d'amour". There are probably a lot of connotations attached to that phrase. Or do I have an overactive imagination?
However, the phrase is used many times, in the titles of books, movies, and the names of performers. For example
A short story, in American English
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16629331/Dare-DevilFrench Movie, "Un Grand Cri d'Amour"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139683/French live theater, play named "Un Grand Cri d'Amour"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHian9GVGB4The blog of Patricia Diaz, titled "Cri d'Amour"
http://blackroseinbloom.tumblr.com/Paul Mauriat, Band Leader released a 1996 recording named "Cri d'Amour"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Mauriat#Discography_.28released_as_Paul_Mauriat.29Here are two examples of how and why a word for word translation does not even come close to the complete meaning of a phrase.
Cri du chat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cri_du_chatCri du coeur
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cri_de_coeurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cri_du_CoeurCasey