The word 'igames' (possibly French?): what did it mean in the pre-digital era?

[Cunctator]

I’m reading one of Nancy Mitford’s later novels: Don’t Tell Alfred, published in 1960. In one passage I’ve come across the word ‘igames’. The French Foreign Minister is talking to the British Ambassador to France, describing the wife of the American Ambassador:

Your American colleague has a beautiful wife whom everybody wants to please. No Frenchman can bear to see somebody so exquisite looking sad for a single moment. So wherever she goes, in Paris or the provinces, the deputies and mayors and ministers and igames say “of course” to whatever she tells them.

From the context it sounds like some sort of French official, but I can’t find it any French dictionary that I have.

[Captain_Amazing]

Probably it’s short for “Inspecteur général de l’administration en mission extraordinaire” The title doesn’t exist anymore, but in the Fourth Republic, IGAMEs were put in charge of administrative regions, each region consisting of a number of departments. The title has since been changed to “regional prefect”, unless the name’s been changed again, which it might have been.

[Cunctator]

Thanks for that. As the word wasn’t capitalised, I didn’t think of the possibility of an acronym.

You’ve saved me a trip to the Alliance Française at lunchtime. They were going to be my next source of inquiry.

[clairobscur]

@Cunctator

Thanks for that. As the word wasn’t capitalised, I didn’t think of the possibility of an acronym.

You’ve saved me a trip to the Alliance Française at lunchtime. They were going to be my next source of inquiry.

I guess you’d have less success at the Alliance française. I never ever heard of IGAMEs, and I don’t think I’m the most ignorant regarding the administrative organization in France.

I’m amazed that ** Captain Amazing ** could answer this question.

[Derleth]

@clairobscur

I’m amazed that ** Captain Amazing ** could answer this question.

Hence the username.