I hadn't heard of it, either, WinterBranch. I wonder if it only has to be used politically. I also read that it can mean "the act of retaliating; revenge." I wonder if, for example, you could say, "The dean's revanchism caused three faculty resignations."
I've never heard the word before, so I looked it up. M-W Online dates revanche to 1882 and says it means " REVENGE; especially : a usually political policy designed to recover lost territory or status."
Etymology on line says, "revanchist - 'one seeking to avenge Germany's defeat in World War I and recover lost territory'." (1926). It traces the word back to "revanche" = revenge (1856)
I'm guessing that the word first meant revenge, then came to mean the specific avenging of the loss of WWI, and final broadened to include a government avenging any territorial loss. But I'm unable to find anything else that ties the word or its history to that German situation.
quote:I hadn't heard of it, either, WinterBranch. I wonder if it only has to be used politically. I also read that it can mean "the act of retaliating; revenge." I wonder if, for example, you could say, "The dean's revanchism caused three faculty resignations."
I don't see why not, Kalleh. What's so beautiful about the English language is its flexibilitarianism.
I finished The Corrections today when I got home from work. I cannot recommend it enough to everyone. Franzen has a wonderful command of language and rhythm.
I've spent an hour browsing it and trying to find the use of revanchism with no luck. Grrrrr!
quote:Originally posted by WinterBranch: I finished _The Corrections_ today when I got home from work. I cannot recommend it enough to everyone. Franzen has a wonderful command of language and rhythm. OK, but some details please? Whatzit about?
I've spent an hour browsing it and trying to find the use of revanchism with no luck. Grrrrr! How about: "I'd like a bowl of alphabet soup with some revanchism dressing on the side"?
quote: OK, but some details please? Whatzit about?
Well, geez, CJ! Shall I come to Strolinville and chew your food for you too, little bird?
The Corrections is a novel about a family with three adult children. The father has Parkinson's and is slowly sliding into a dementia that evidently sometimes accompanies it. (I've been very lucky in that I've never had to learn anything about Parkinson's first hand.) The mother wants her three children home for one last big midwestern Christmas. I know it sounds rather bland, but it couldn't be less so.
quote: I've spent an hour browsing it and trying to find the use of revanchism with no luck. Grrrrr! How about: "I'd like a bowl of alphabet soup with some revanchism dressing on the side"?
I'm glad to see, CJ, that you are a firm believer in the saying, "It's better to be a smartass than a dumbass."
