Bugs

During the discussion about the correct way to pronounce friable (in English) to avoid creating the impression that integers without large prime factors are to be considered as (presumably unealthy) food, it seems of some interest to indicate what type of outrageous French accent would be suitable. For this purpose, I suggest watching the very funny Bugs Bunny cartoon entitled French Rarebit (especially the part with Monsieur François and Monsieur Louie fighting over the rabbit). I can’t help picturing two irascible French mathematicians fighting over priority: “Non, non, non, Monsieur François, ze Theorem, it is mine!”, “Au contraire, Monsieur Louie, le Théorème, it is mine, not yours!”

(When I was growing up, Bugs Bunny cartoons appeared only sparingly on French television, and were a particular treat, as were the ones of Tex Avery; nowadays, I guess all of them can be found just as simply on the internet…)

Published by

Kowalski

I am a professor of mathematics at ETH Zürich since 2008.