So clearly it's: de luxe = of luxury.
But does anyone use 'de luxe'? As far as I know both are acceptable, but is the spaced version waning in all but slick company names?
Hmmmm, I wrote a poem about Miss O'Hara and used "deluxe" in it. Now I'm wondering whether I should go back and put "de luxe" in instead. Deluxe is tight and to the point. But De luxe has a kind of implied "sigh" of wonder in between its syllables. I like that gap--that place for the imagination to provide an image.
Thanks, B'y', for bringing it up.
Best regards,
Dub-De Luxe
I wonder if "deluxe" isn't an invention of commspeak.
I'd always write "de luxe", and would probably be inclined to make the first characters uppercase.
Trying to remember now whether my son's birthday present was a
De Luxe Megazordor a
Deluxe Megazord- I think the former, which (as WW says) implies more class, somehow.
And
Hello Jackie! 
[fanfare]
Yes, De Luxe Fanfare for
Jackie!!!
Smooch,
Wordwind
We rejoice to see Jackie posting again!
If I owned a Mercedes, I would have transportation de luxe.
I am limited to deluxe walking shoes.
If I owned a Mercedes, I would have transportation de luxe.
I am limited to deluxe walking shoes.
I think your distinction makes perfect sense, Bill. I just can't work out why.
[BTW, here's to you Jackie!]
Dear BY: My walking shoes are very well designed, and very well made. But they are hardly
a luxury. A Mercedes is probably the most expensive car made, and definitely a luxury.
Though I usually use deluxe, I've seen De Luxe used, especially in referring to items on a dinner menu (I.E. Crab Imperial De Luxe). Hmmm...now I'm wondering if there's a precedent for beverage size...whether it's usually deluxe or De Luxe, as in small, medium, large, de...? Dr. Bill's example does handily clarify the distinction between the two.
(Howdy
Kintucky! Good to see your smiling name again, Jackie!)
I was guessing communication speak. Wonder which it is.
ReHowdy to ya,
k
Hey Jackie - meet me in Vegas and we'll have brunch at De Luxor.
I'd been wondering where the heck you were!
Makes me realize how long it's been since I've gone to the beach. Long time, no sea!
Welcome back, dearest lady!
HUGS
TEd
Thanks, you-all--love you!
(De)luxury, indeed!
De Luxor--sounds like something out of Lois and Clark (speaking of Kents!). by--a special spill-I-mean-clink of the beer glasses to you, Sweetie.
Ted--sir, you have no idea of how beachy I can be!
just for old time's sake (hi Jackie!), here's what the dictionaries have to say:
M-W gives it solely as deluxe.
AHD prefers deluxe, but lists de luxe as a variant.
OED Online: ||de luxe [Fr., lit. ‘of luxury’.]
Luxurious, sumptuous; of a superior kind.
1819 Edition de luxe [see LUXE 2]. 1865 ‘OUIDA’ Strathmore viii, I wonder
governments don't tax good talk; it's quite a luxury, and they might add de luxe. 1885
Edition de luxe [see LUXE 2]. 1890 Trains de luxe [see LUXE 2]. 1908 Westm. Gaz. 6
June 5/1 We are conscious of something De luxe, but not oppressed by the sense of it.
1934 Punch 20 June 679/3 They will disclose Britannia, enthroned on the top of a de
luxe model of one of those erections from which they mend tram-wires. 1949 E. POUND
Pisan Cantos lxxvii. 52 Before the deluxe car carried him over the precipice. 1955 T. H.
PEAR Eng. Social Differences viii. 182 Members of the upper economic strata..who
patronise hotels de luxe. 1970 K. CHESNEY Victorian Underworld 336 These places
were often little businesses engaged in a de luxe trade, glovers, bonnet makers, perfumers
and so on.
so perhaps we have Ezra Pound to thank for the concatenation? and using capitalization seems to be ostentatious in the extreme, along the same lines as dining at the American Grille.
> American Grille.
LMAO!!!!! What a classic!
<<commspeak = commonspeak>>
commspeak = commercial speech.
Badword the OED. "deluxe" is English word, "de luxe" is a French phrase, mes amis.
Used by Amercans who know at least ten words in French.
'Allo!
Dix?
Merde!
A bientot et Au revoir.
>Badword the OED. "deluxe" is English word, "de luxe" is a French phrase, mes amis.
what the bad word, Bill? deluxe is derived directly from de luxe, so what's yer point?!
Dear tsuwm: I am trying to figure out how to explain to you the difference between
French and English.
For openers, would you believe "de" is not an English word?
It's all in the knows, Dr. Bill. [ducking and running for cover like a goose-e]
Actually, I really just wanted to say a big "Hi and welcome back!" to Jackie but the thought of you trying to explain to tsuwm the difference between English and French is way too deelux a joke!
Make what you will of the grammer of the previous sentence. I don't care
[tossing my head-e]
tsuwm: he's not all there.
bill: I don't understand you at all today, but then sometimes I don't understand my own posts:-)
Dear consuelo: I thought about using Smileys, but couldn't find any that did the job.
The Prioresse in thae Canterbury tales "intuned through her nose full seemly" when speaking
the Frennsh of Stratfort-at-Bowe. I can't do that, my nose is always blocked.
wwh writes:
The Prioresse in thae Canterbury tales "intuned through her nose full seemly" when speaking
the Frennsh of Stratfort-at-Bowe. I can't do that, my nose is always blocked.
Only our Dr. Bill can be both adolescent and refer to the Canterbury Tales at the same time!
[still waiting for Anu to send me the raspberry-e]
Good Grief guys and gruneons has it escaped your notice that we here speak new age english and that all of our words are in a state of progressive transition?
Gee whiz daddios don't you know that americanized english tilts the tad when it comes to usage and that noone cares nomore aboot what was once proper french.
Do we say "
Secretary de de fense?
Does Cole Porter not say "
It's delovely"
Does not
De Camptown Ladies Sing Dis Song- Doo-Dah?Does not
JACKIE owe those of us here who missed her badly a thousand kisses and a thousand posts?
I'm not de best of thinkers but I think that de answer is YES.
Glad you're back
Queen Jack ! -
-
Hey There Jackie - Great to see you again!
stales
De Luxe Megazord
or a
Deluxe MegazordI checked this morning (yep, that's how sad I am), and it's a
DELUXE Megazord.
Interestingly this is abbreviated to
DX [rather than DL] Megazord on the side of the box.
For the benefit of those who want to see what I'm talking about (you never know
):
http://www.rangercentral.com/prc/toy-prtf1.htm
>I am trying to figure out how to explain to you the difference between French and English.
dear wwh, here's a French word for you: degringolade.
degringoladeA type of US soda pop?
whoops! I forgot that smileys were considered adolescent and a sign of a low IQ....
degringolade comes in deraspberry and degrape. My kids love it.
Rubrick, I'll be a dumb adolescent right along wit you!!
"It's delightful, it's delicious, it's delectable, it's delirious,
It's dilemma, it's de limit, it's deluxe, it's de-lovely"
Cole Porter had to be thinking of someone just like you, Jackie, when he came up with this. Here's looking at you, kid!
Le Grille? What the h* is Le Grille? These instructions are so confusing!- Homer Simpson. Hi Jackie.
Le Grille? What the h* is Le Grille? These instructions are so confusing!- Homer Simpson. Hi Jackie.
Hi, Sweetie--I've been wondering if you were still around.
Hi Jackie.
Whoops, wrong persona. Wait one ...
- Pfranz
Ah, that's better. Hi Jackie!
What's all this crap about smilies being retrograde and the sign of a ga-ga mentality or something? Has shIT been at it again?
What's all this crap about smilies being retrograde and the sign of a ga-ga mentality or something? Has shIT been at it again?
Hi, Sweetheart--well, no less than four people wrote to me saying they don't think so. So...my apologies, jopo.
From the customary meaning of "deluxe" as used in diners, Our Household Dictionary ("the epitomy of local usage") defines deluxe as with lettuce and tomato.
One of the things about "deluxe" that I have noticed that, as many products have a sort of inflation of adjectives, deluxe ends up denoting the cheapest variety. For example, a product might be offerred as deluxe, special, and custom. That way even the guy who buys the cheapest one can say "I got the deluxe model!" It is sort of like the tendency of restaurants to offer three sizes of soft drink: large, extra-large and super-size.
You've done it agian, Sparteye!
defines deluxe as with lettuce and tomato.
that sums up so neatly the spirit of the difference between "de luxe" and "deluxe"
a sort of inflation of adjectives That's a beautiful way of putting it, Alex.
So true.
Open challenge: can anyone produce a pithy little word (and no taking the pith) that has the above definition?
three sizes of soft drink: large, extra-large and super-sizeHaven't seen that yet, but there's definitely no such thing as a "Small" Coke. It would be
Regular. No doubt that term will at some stage be considered too nondescript and colourless.
Open challenge: can anyone produce a pithy little word (and no taking the pith) that has the above definition?
Composition Less is more.
Edit: wrong definition.
a sort of inflation of adjectives
Marketing
Would Hyperbole also be acceptable?
Edit again:
Hyperbollocks
Shona, I had to put this! I looked in my thesaurus under 'exaggeration', and found: fish story!
Jackie, are you trying to tell us that he's really only a fishonascooter?
Rhuby, I think I'll let him answer that one!
>a sort of inflation of adjectives?
Hyperbollockssooooooooooooo good!
'exaggeration', and found: fish storyCould be a response to those lines (which I just found quote Sun Ra, whoever he is):
"I'm not a part of history - his story,
I'm more a part of the mystery, which is my story.
What's your story?"
"A
fish story!"
Quite appropriate here actually, Jackie, 'cos fish stories would I think relate to the
size of things. Like Coke cups, I mean
.
A fish
onabike story would perhaps be a dramatic exaggeration that sounds wholly convincing when first heard, but on further consideration makes no sense at all. You return to the scene of the "crime" only to find that the storyteller has disappeared, your last bottle of bourbon has mysteriously emptied itself, and there's no fish-food left in the cupboards.
he's really only a fishonascooter?Harumph
- a scooter's not much better than perambulation.
fishona
trike is more like it.
Hmph. Probably not even really a fish. Plankton on a trike, perhaps.
Less is more?
Cellonatrike
Oh, and to avoid confusion with the instrument, perhaps cellsonatrike would work better, but I like cellonatrike, take your pick of pronunciation.
Dub-Dub
Shona! First you're a fish, then plankton, and now a cell? Cellonatrike! Ha! Hmm--if you drink, then you'll be a Barcellonatrike...
First you're a fish, then plankton, and now a cell? Cellonatrike! Ha! Ha ha ha, indeed.
Amoeba tricyclata sounds like a rather unwelcome digestive visitor.
I much prefer
Spirogyra tricyclata, even if it means allowing myself to vegetate.
Hmm--if you drink, then you'll be a BarcellonatrikeEasily caught using a Spanish Fly, perhaps?