surprise-partie

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

• IPA^(key): /syʁ.pʁiz.paʁ.ti/

• Audio

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Noun

surprise-partie f (plural surprise-parties)

1. 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)

2. 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 [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.