# apres moi le deluge

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apres-moi-le-deluge/158007>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 27, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apres-moi-le-deluge/158007 "2003-02-27T23:15:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![daniel801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@daniel801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daniel801)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apres-moi-le-deluge/158007/1 "2003-02-27T23:15:27Z")

</div>

After me, the flood.

Was it Louis XV or XIV, I’ve seen both?

What is the real meaning behind the words? Is it like “screw the future?” or what?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apres-moi-le-deluge/158007/2 "2003-02-28T00:14:41Z")

</div>

I can’t remember which said it, but I always interpreted it as meaning that once he’s gone, everything will go to hell. Kind of an “I’m the one holding this whole place together” train of thought.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apres-moi-le-deluge/158007/3 "2003-02-28T01:49:08Z")

</div>

It’s variously attributed to either Louis XV, or his mistress Madame de Pompadour.

Louis XIV’s notable quotation was, “L’etat, c’est moi.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![slipster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@slipster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slipster)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apres-moi-le-deluge/158007/4 "2003-02-28T02:37:31Z")

</div>

It is generally attributed to Louis XV. It was, at least, definitely said by John Barrymore in the film Marie Antoinette.

The context in which Barrymore (as Louis XV) said it reflects the interpretation which is generally given to the remark. He meant that things were holding together okay for now, but somewhere down the road things were really going to hit the fan.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apres-moi-le-deluge/158007/5 "2003-02-28T15:11:35Z")

</div>

And my understanding is that the point was he didn’t really care that things were going to hit the fan, as long as he had his fun now and didn’t have to deal with it.