surprise-partie
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French
Etymology
From English surprise party; sociological note: parties were social events where invitations were sent out to the invitees, be they children or teenagers. The novelty of the surprise-partie was its informal organization. When this became the norm, the word was re-analyzed to mean "a party thrown to surprise the one in whose honor it is made", and, in its original sense, shortened as surpat’, surpatte, surboum.
Pronunciation
Noun
surprise-partie f (plural surprise-parties)
- party
- Jean avait organisé chez lui une surprise-partie. Nous devions tous nous retrouver à trois heures. Nous étions une quarantaine de garçons et de filles qui dansions gauchement, joyeusement.
- Jean had organized a party at his place. We all had to get there at three o'clock. There were about forty of us, guys and girls, dancing awkwardly but happily.
- (Jacques Lusseyran, Et la lumière fut, 1953)
- surprise party
- Jean va organiser une surprise-partie pour son anniversaire de mariage avec Elisabeth.
- Jean is going to organize a surprise party for his and Elisabeth's wedding anniversary.
Further reading
- “surprise-partie”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.