Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by le calmar

I am 100% sure people were saying “en mode” ten years ago. i.e. “j’étais en mode peinard”. Unless the meaning of the expression changed somehow?

Not the way they use it now, and also it was much less used than today. It's simply not comparable. In Paris the explosion of "en mode" as it is used now by young people is from no earlier than Covid.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by le calmar

I am 100% sure people were saying “en mode” ten years ago. i.e. “j’étais en mode peinard”. Unless the meaning of the expression changed somehow?

It's definitely something I might use.

For example, if the NHL playoffs start and Montreal qualifies for them, I might tell my family "là, je suis en mode hockey". Which means I intend to watch all the games.

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Not the way they use it now, and also it was much less used than today. It's simply not comparable. In Paris the explosion of "en mode" as it is used now by young people is from no earlier than Covid.

Ok, this is what I suspected. And now that you mention it, the way “en mode” is used in some of your examples would probably not have been quite the same ten years ago.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

About 2 years ago one of my kids had a significant other who was a French exchange student. In our family we used to tease this young person about using "du coup" all the time.

"Du coup" I find the young people use it especially in serious settings (like professional settings), to hide their embarrassment or lack of vocabulary. At the gym you never hear "du coup" because this is an informal setting and people are relaxed. "Du coup" would be the equivalent of "so" in English, in a professional setting for example, like you answer your older boss after a pause "so...". But to me it feels like the person is either embarrassed or doesn't master much vocabulary. "Donc" is already much more cultured. Like: "Du coup... je l'envoie tout de suite ou on attend ?" Whereas a "Donc vous pensez qu'il vaut mieux qu'on l'envoie tout de suite ou qu'on attende ?" would immediately show that the person is more cultured and more high caliber.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

"Du coup" I find the young people use it especially in serious settings (like professional settings), to hide their embarrassment or lack of vocabulary. At the gym you never hear "du coup" because this is an informal setting and people are relaxed. "Du coup" would be the equivalent of "so" in English, in a professional setting for example, like you answer your older boss after a pause "so...". But to me it feels like the person is either embarrassed or doesn't master much vocabulary. "Donc" is already much more cultured. Like: "Du coup... je l'envoie tout de suite ou on attend ?" Whereas a "Donc vous pensez qu'il vaut mieux qu'on l'envoie tout de suite ou qu'on attende ?" would immediately show that the person is more cultured and more high caliber.

The kid in question got a little bit self-conscious about it, though our teasing was always good-natured.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

A bit like young kids/teenagers overuse the word "like" in English. I understand now.

"En mode" doesn't mean the same thing as "like" though. Also, "like" is more of a filler, to give you time to think, or because you don't know what to say, whereas "en mode" is not a filler, actually the young people these days use it as a 'savvy' stuff to show their eagerness and enthusiasm, or how much they like the person they talk to, or just to sound trendy, which "like" never was in English.

The closest I could see in American English in terms of the intention (but not the meaning) is "awesome!" ("en mode" doesn't mean at all the same thing as "awesome!", but people use it with the same intention of displaying eagerness and enthusiasm as they do in the US when they say "awesome!"). You say "en mode" to your good friends, you would never say "en mode" to your boss or to a stranger in the street.

[lio45]

I would seriously consider voting LPQ if they pick this guy as their new leader:

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2025/0...-une-occasion-en-or-pour-relancer-le-plq

First time in a long time that they'd be on my radar... in fact I don't think they have ever been on my radar since I've been old enough to have the right to vote (didn't like Charest nor Couillard).

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

• Video Link

Do all the other provinces get a "wish list" too?

formidable!

[kwoldtimer]

Smith gave hers as well.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by EnvisionSaintJohn

• Video Link

Do all the other provinces get a "wish list" too?

formidable!

The other Canadian provinces don't have the future of Canada in their hands. Only Québec does. So that gives them way more power than the other provinces, and a clear say in federal policies. That's the price for you guys to pay for resisting Québec's push for independence in 1980 and 1995 I suppose. One can't have the butter and the money of the butter as we say in French (or have your cake and eat it, as you say in English). If Québec stays in Canada, they have a disproportionate influence in federal politics. But what you cannot have is Québec remaining in Canada AND not being more important/influential than a mere Manitoba or Nova Scotia (that would be having your cake and eating it too).

[MonctonRad]

• Video Link

I leave this here for Acajacks' amusement and commentary and for New Brisavoines frustration, scorn and ridicule.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

The other Canadian provinces don't have the future of Canada in their hands. Only Québec does. So that gives them way more power than the other provinces, and a clear say in federal policies. That's the price for you guys to pay for resisting Québec's push for independence in 1980 and 1995 I suppose. One can't have the butter and the money of the butter as we say in French (or have your cake and eat it, as you say in English). If Québec stays in Canada, they have a disproportionate influence in federal politics. But what you cannot have is Québec remaining in Canada AND not being more important/influential than a mere Manitoba or Nova Scotia (that would be having your cake and eating it too).

This is such a trolling exaggeration of the truth. Do you honestly believe what you post?

[EnvisionSaintJohn]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

The other Canadian provinces don't have the future of Canada in their hands. Only Québec does. So that gives them way more power than the other provinces, and a clear say in federal policies. That's the price for you guys to pay for resisting Québec's push for independence in 1980 and 1995 I suppose. One can't have the butter and the money of the butter as we say in French (or have your cake and eat it, as you say in English). If Québec stays in Canada, they have a disproportionate influence in federal politics. But what you cannot have is Québec remaining in Canada AND not being more important/influential than a mere Manitoba or Nova Scotia (that would be having your cake and eating it too).

Un petite Manitoba, eh?

What about Nouveau Brunswick? Canada’s only bilingual province, can we have our gâteau and eat it too? 🍰

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

This is such a trolling exaggeration of the truth. Do you honestly believe what you post?

How many Canadian PM from Québec vs how many from Manitoba and Nova Scotia? Even counting for Québec's larger population, the disproportionate influence of Québec in Canadian federal politics is quite glaring.

(which is kind of ironic for a province 50% of whose population voted to secede from Canada, but in fact that outsize influence is precisely due to the risk of secession)

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I leave this here for Acajacks' amusement and commentary and for New Brisavoines frustration, scorn and ridicule.

Time is of the essence. As we say in French: "Plus dure sera la chute".

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

How many Canadian PM from Québec vs how many from Manitoba and Nova Scotia? Even counting for Québec's larger population, the disproportionate influence of Québec in Canadian federal politics is quite glaring.

(which is kind of ironic for a province 50% of whose population voted to secede from Canada, but in fact that outsize influence is precisely due to the risk of secession)

I said you were exaggerating in a trollish way, not that there was no truth to your comment. “Only Quebec has the future of Canada in their hands” and “they have way more power than other provinces” are ridiculous things to say. Quebec is the second largest province. It’s not shocking that they are second in terms of overall power. Is that power then augmented by other factors? Yes, but only to some extent. Why do Alberta and Quebec complain so much while Ontario is relatively silent? Because Ontario doesn’t have to.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

• Video Link

I leave this here for Acajacks' amusement and commentary and for New Brisavoines frustration, scorn and ridicule.

I've been watching her videos for quite awhile and had watched that one yesterday. It totally reflects what I've been hearing from my Quebecer friends including those who are normally pro-sovereignty. Promoting Quebec sovereignty at a time like now is definitely wasted time and actually harmful.

Look at the Bloc Québécois platform. The first issue is sovereignty. They have nothing about Trump and his threats. They just talk about how the federal parliament cares about Quebec and the French language less than ever. So they aren't even addressing the most pressing issue! The provincial Parti Québécois is no better but I'll give them the benefit that they aren't currently in an election campaign.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

“Only Quebec has the future of Canada in their hands” and “they have way more power than other provinces” are ridiculous things to say.

Which other province could break Canada? None. Québec is the only province that can break the country. That matters. And it's not some mere threat. They've actually done it twice, and came with a whisker of breaking the country last time.

So no, it's not surprising that the premier of Québec has a "shopping list" that he wants the federal government to pay attention to, because everyone knows what the alternative can be if the Québécois decide they are fed up with Canada. No other province has that power, not even Ontario (nobody seriously believes that Ontario could secede from Canada).

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Look at the Bloc Québécois platform. The first issue is sovereignty. They have nothing about Trump and his threats.

What could they say anyway? There's not much they can do about this situation. All Canada can do is bide their time and wait for Trump to either tire of the issue or lose the next election.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Which other province could break Canada? None. Québec is the only province that can break the country. That matters. And it's not some mere threat. They've actually done it twice, and came with a whisker of breaking the country last time.

So no, it's not surprising that the premier of Québec has a "shopping list" that he wants the federal government to pay attention to, because everyone knows what the alternative can be if the Québécois decide they are fed up with Canada. No other province has that power, not even Ontario (nobody seriously believes that Ontario could secede from Canada).

Ontario could if it democratically voted to just as much as Quebec could. Ontario premiers have made demands of the federal government as well. Doug Ford is keeping quiet right now because he knows a Liberal government would be better for him and that the conservatives would gut funding to major infrastructure projects.