Stop calling it a menage!

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Mondy

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I hope I won't be in trouble for repeating a topic across fora, but I thought my question belonged here as well. So, in a nutshell:

Why do people insist upon calling the place for schooling horses a 'menage'?

Here is the definition for 'menage' from Oxford English Dictionary: A domestic establishment, or its members collectively; a household, a home. In later use also: the parties involved in a romantic or sexual relationship regarded as forming a domestic establishment; the relationship itself.

Ie. 'menage' is NOT a riding arena, which, if one desires to be fancy, can be called a 'manege'.

I am so tired of people affecting a bogus prestige by using words they don't even know the meaning of.

I thought the fashion for dropping French words in with every second breath waned post-Chaucer in the fifteenth century. Apparently ridiculous affectation has a loooong afterlife in the equestrian community.

Summary: 'Manege' NOT 'menage', NOT 'menage' but 'MANEGE'.

That is all for now.
 
:D :D :D
I don't know how it is in France, but in Québec, "ménage" refers to your household cleaning, etc. "Manège" is the school for horses. I've often wondered why forummers appear to prefer housework to schooling, and to what uses they put their horses during this cleaning. :p

OneInAMillion, they should actually be pronounced quite differently: (horribly anglicised approximation here) may-nah-ge vs. mah-neh-ge. Unfortunately, leaving out the accents (which I also do for convenience of typing on a keyboard set up for English) obscures this difference! Ah well, no harm done! :D
 
Why look down noses? I usually call it a school or maybe an arena.

I had a silly moment last year...what I would call a "padded vest" appears to be called a "gilet" here. So, being aware of the British tendency to hopelessly mangle any French words encountered (must be a holdover from the 100 years war or something :p ), I took a stab at pronouncing it "gill-ett"...that sure back-fired... :o
 
Does it really matter what ppl call it, I would nevr let such a minor thing bother me, as someone else has already said 'life is too short'.

Id be concentrating on what I was doing within the school not how ppl were pronouncing it :)
 
friesian80 said:
Does it really matter what ppl call it, I would nevr let such a minor thing bother me, as someone else has already said 'life is too short'.

Id be concentrating on what I was doing within the school not how ppl were pronouncing it :)
Click to expand...

totally agree. if people know what your on about who cares
 
Magdalen College..... says it all.... Balliol people wouldnt have this issue I am sure :rolleyes:

I just call it an arena personally :)
 
I'm with the OP, if only because I wouldn't give a Frenchman the satisfaction of hearing a Rosbif mangle one simple word of his language, or have him laugh as I tell him that I ride in a household.
 
I can't be asked to care but I'm surprised how many people seem to want to use a incorrectly. Odd. And it does sound pretentious. ;)

I actually dislike 'school' a I think it has connotations of tests and forced learning and contributes to hour many people have a really reluctant attitude towards schooling here. I know that sounds silly but I've been struck by it.
 
It really annoys me, too. Alistair Appleton said it on Escape to the Country the other day. Tsk.

And I don't quite understand why people are so proud of the fact they are using the wrong word :confused:
 
Mondy said:
I hope I won't be in trouble for repeating a topic across fora, but I thought my question belonged here as well. So, in a nutshell:

Why do people insist upon calling the place for schooling horses a 'menage'?

Here is the definition for 'menage' from Oxford English Dictionary: A domestic establishment, or its members collectively; a household, a home. In later use also: the parties involved in a romantic or sexual relationship regarded as forming a domestic establishment; the relationship itself.

Ie. 'menage' is NOT a riding arena, which, if one desires to be fancy, can be called a 'manege'.

I am so tired of people affecting a bogus prestige by using words they don't even know the meaning of.

I thought the fashion for dropping French words in with every second breath waned post-Chaucer in the fifteenth century. Apparently ridiculous affectation has a loooong afterlife in the equestrian community.

Summary: 'Manege' NOT 'menage', NOT 'menage' but 'MANEGE'.

That is all for now.
Click to expand...

i cannot believe that anyone cares enough to post this?? i have serious apostrophe OCD but i wouldn't come on here posting about it.... i think that its quite pretentious to harp on about things like this TBH... just because you are good at grammar doesn't give you a right to talk down to others.... :confused:
 
I'm glad she did post...because it really annoys me when people use menage, especially estate agents and the like using it in pretentious brochures. IMO its a slightly pretentious word anyway and I don't really use it but if you are going to, use the right one....

I do think it is a little odd that some people seem to be so proud of using the wrong word though. I can understand why people might not realise what the correct word is due to the widespread use of the wrong one, but once you have been told wouldn't you use the correct spelling ?! Why would anyone be proud of using the wrong word/bad spelling etc?? Inverse snobbery anyone ?
 
I'm a little perplexed, why is using the term menege an affectation of bogus prestige ? I thought it was a commonly used term as is much of the terminology used in equestrianism ? Arena/school/menege... whats the difference ? Quite like Drop Zone though....
 
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