# In Canada, how good does a business' French have to be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384 "2008-10-17T15:38:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/41 "2008-10-19T04:31:40Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > One that always kills French tourists is the use of the word _préservatif_. In Canada, it’s a _calque_ of the English “preservative”, and it’s something you put in food to make it keep longer. In Europe, it means “contraceptive.” Not dissimilar to Spanish, where a _preservativo_ is a contraceptive, but a _conservativo_ is a preservative. Both, of course, depending on the exact Spanish that you speak (my usage is Mexican). ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/42 "2008-10-19T20:20:45Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > > [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > > > Enforcement can get awfully petty. > > Yes and yes. Enforcement is based solely on citizens’ complaints, so if nobody complains, nothing will get enforced. There is no “language police”. > [@jovan](#): > > There are some atrocious French translations in Canada. The Montreal free paper _Voir_ used to run a short column titled _De kossé?_ (“WTF?” In heavy Quebec vernacular) which listed the silliest examples of the week. _Protégez-Vous_ also had (maybe still has) a similar column called Des Vertes et des pas mûres, but it wasn’t only about bad translations, but also about otherwise incomprehensible or confusing commercial writing. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/43 "2008-10-19T21:21:48Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > _Protégez-Vous_ also had (maybe still has) a similar column called Des Vertes et des pas mûres, but it wasn’t only about bad translations, but also about otherwise incomprehensible or confusing commercial writing. So basically its their way of high lighting engrish or hinglish , but with the french equivalent. declan ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/44 "2008-10-19T22:07:34Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > So basically its their way of high lighting engrish or hinglish , but with the french equivalent. > > declan We tend to refer to that as Franglais. It’s about the closest name for the French I speak (Northern Alberta dialect with some Cree and White Russian thrown in for good measure). ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/45 "2008-10-19T23:58:32Z")
The language priority for Federal Government signs is determined by the majority language of the province they are located in. Thus French first in Québec, English first elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/46 "2008-10-20T00:01:53Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > We tend to refer to that as Franglais. It’s about the closest name for the French I speak (Northern Alberta dialect with some Cree and White Russian thrown in for good measure). Or Frenglish. Whenever a new paddler joins my dragon boat team, they are warned that the language of training is Frenglish, and everyone seems to be fully fluent in the language 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/47 "2008-10-20T00:47:06Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Enforcement is based solely on citizens’ complaints, so if nobody complains, nothing will get enforced. There is no "language Oh but there are. They are the enforcement arm of “L’office de la langue francaise” and investigate every complaint and enforce every one no matter how petty. I am not sure they don’t go around on their own looking for violations, but even if they don’t they are still language police. Incidentally, complainers remain anonymous. As far as awfully petty, how about a formal complaint about a sign in Hebrew for grave monuments? In every bookstore all signs in the English language sections have to be in French and then in tiny English. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384/48 "2008-10-20T01:13:47Z")
The OQLF does not process [anonymous complaints.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois_de_la_langue_fran%C3%A7aise) > [@](#): > > Contrary to a common misrepresentation, the Office does not process anonymous complaints. As per article 168 of the Charter, the complaint must be written and contain the identity of the complainant[12]. The office does however ensure privacy of information as per the An Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information. Also, the OQLF does not have the power to send an agent unless it has received a complaint. Doing so would require a vote by the members of the OQLF. They do investigate complaints, and they do enforce the law by asking for changes or levying fines. Some complaints are, of course, petty (according to wiki, 18% of complaints in 2006 were considered to be unfounded, but I have a feeling that the fact that the OQLF was investigating a “petty” issue probably makes the news, but the end resolution doesn’t) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-canada-how-good-does-a-business-french-have-to-be/468384.md?page=2)