Curry

I have a feeling that some of my colleagues on this blog will be delighted to write about curry. Probably go out for one to research in greater depth. So I’m going to curry favour with them by not writing about food but the following.

To curry favour is to flatter and seek favour by courtesy and kindness. It dates back to the 1500s and came to English from Old French corrier fauvel which means to be hypocritical but translates literally as to curry the chestnut horse (obviously). In medieval French chestnut horses are symbols of cunning and deceit. There’s a similar expression in German “falben hengst streichen” meaning to flatter or cajole but literally translating as to stroke the dun-coloured horse.

currying a chestnut horse

This association of horses with duplicity had linguistic roots. Fauvel meant a chestnut horse but favele meant deception. It comes from fabula (fable) in Latin. In Middle English favel was a common name for a horse but the same word in French meant duplicity. The connection was an easy one to make.

Let’s look at both words. To curry a horse dates to the late 1200s. This word for grooming is from curreier in Anglo-French and before that from correier (to put in order) in Old French.

Favour came to English at the same time for beauty and charm from Old French favor (a favour, approval, praise. Originally it came from favorem (good will) in Latin and was coined by Cicero from the verb favere (to show kindness to).

However the word favour in currying favour is an eggcorn. An eggcorn is a word or phrase that arises from mishearing or misunderstanding the original. Somebody may use sir name instead of surname, or tow the line instead of toe the line. In this case it’s curry favour instead of curry Fauvel.

Hang on a minute, that eggcorn sounds a lot like a Mondegreen. We covered that term back in December ’24 where it was described as a mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase in a way that gives it a new meaning so eggcorns and mondegreens are both misheard or misinterpreted phrases, but eggcorns are plausible but Mondegreens are nonsensical.

The above information comes from the fascinating website ‘Wordfoolery’.

Fauvel was the main character in the 1300s poem “Roman de Fauvel” by Gervais de Bus (no, I’m not going there) and Chaillou de Pesstain (no, I’m very definitely not going there). 

manuscript of Roman de Fauvel

Fauvel, though he is a horse, no longer resides in a stable, but is set up in a grand house. He changes his residence to suit his needs, and has a custom manger and hayrack built. In his garderobe he has members of religious orders stroking him to make sure "no dung can remain on him." Church and secular leaders far and wide make pilgrimages to see him, and bow to him in servitude. They brush and clean Fauvel from his head to tail.

The poem was popular in Britain, and the phrase currying Fauvel came to mean flattering a false leader for personal gain.

Interestingly the word Fauvel in the poem was written as an acrostic on each letter of his name.

F: Flattery
A: Avarice
V: Villainy
V: Variability
E: Envy
L: Laxity

De Fauvel descent Flaterie,
Qui du monde a la seignorie,
Et puis en descent Avarice,
Qui de torchier Fauvel n'est nice,
Vilanie et Varieté,
Et puis Envie et Lascheté.
Ces siex dames que j'ai nommees
Sont par Fauvel signifies

Joel Cohen’s translation goes:

The first “F” stands for flattery
Who rules the world, as all can see.
In our poem’s hypothesis
The “A” is meant for Avarice;
Unfaithfulness, then Villany
Then Envy, and then Laxity.
These six vices I’ve just named
Are by the name “Fauvel” well framed.

Thanks for reading, Terry Q.