Question on “trente sous”
Sunday I was in a café in Villeray, but not one of my regular spots, where I noticed they had notched the price of a double espresso up from the local standard $3.75 to a flat $4. Paid with a $5 and got a loonie back, so asked the barista politely for “des trente sous” instead, intending to leave 50 or 75 cents as tip.
She gave me back 30 cents.
I laughed and switched to English and explained I’d asked her for quarters, not thirty cents. Turned out she and her colleague were both anglos and had never heard the Quebec expression for a quarter.
Or was I wrong? Has that expression gone out of style?
steph 14:15 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
I think the abandoned French currency went out of style with the Euro. Back in the mid 19th century we had 1 pound (British) = 240 pence (British) = 480 sous (French) = 4 dollars (Canadian) = 400 cents (Canadian)
. With that 25 cents = 30 sous. Maybe the CAQ will bring the abandoned currency for the pure laine.
bob 15:14 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
From the Canadian Encyclopedia: “Shinplasters, 25-cent Dominion government notes that were first issued in 1870 as a temporary measure to counteract the effects of an excess of American silver coinage circulating in Canada. Shinplasters were popular and were reissued in 1900 and 1923. Over 5 million were in circulation in 1929, but in 1935 the new BANK OF CANADA began recalling them. The term may have been used initially in American revolutionary times by soldiers who used similar bills to pad their shoes.”
Tee Owe 15:42 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
1 pound = 240 pence = 20 shillings (12 pence to a shilling) = 4 crowns (5 shillings to a crown) – all gone now, it’s 100 pence to a pound, no shillings any more. I didn’t know about 480 sous = 4 dollars. And shinplasters – fascinating, thank you!
jeather 16:33 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
My grandfather had a pile of shinplasters and often called quarters that. I haven’t thought of those in years.
Kate 16:45 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
Likewise, I remember my mother mentioning shinplasters, but that was a long time ago.
I wasn’t really asking about the history of “trente sous” but whether anyone hears it said any more as meaning a quarter. I asked at another café today where some folks were chatting casually around, and one of the dudes said he understood it, but it was new to some of the others.
JohnS 16:49 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
I’ve lived here 32 years. Never heard the term before today.
jeather 17:52 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
I hadn’t heard it before, and so I appreciated the little history lesson.
Ian 18:04 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
Same!
Anyone still say “two bits”?
dhomas 18:27 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
I went to grade school in French, and so was immersed in Quebecois culture (M. Lego would be proud!). “Un trent’ sous” was still pretty common when I was growing up in the 80s, but mostly with the older generation like my teachers or the folks who ran the dépanneur. I don’t think my generation used it very commonly anymore, though we knew what it was. So, I think Quebecois Boomers would still use the term, Gen X would know of it and Millenials and younger might start to not be aware of it.
Ian 18:41 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
Back to the original situation, I bet they raised the price because everyone was just tipping a quarter.
My rule is if there’s table service, tip at least a dollar regardless of the total cost, and beyond that, 20%. I won’t tip counter service because they aren’t getting the extra low tip-earner’s wage and on-site tax.
Kate 18:42 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
Another angle here is that my dad learned his French in Hochelaga decades ago, refining it in various taverns around town. He was inclined to scoff at the French I was learning in English school, and taught me useful phrases like “m’a te donner une claque su’l’gueule” instead of “comment allez-vous?”
So I may have picked up “un trent’sous” from him.
Ephraim 18:50 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
I would have specifically said quatre trente sous
Clément 19:53 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
“Échanger 4 trente sous pour une piasse” is a colloquial expression that’s still heard quite often. It means you’re trading 4 quarters for 1 dollar. The English equivalent might be “”swapping six for half a dozen.”
Kate 20:37 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
“it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other”.
Does anyone say “piasse” any more? Long time since we used piastres here…
Kevin 21:16 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
I hear “piasses” all the time… and trente sous from the older francophones at the grocery store.
carswell 21:30 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
The staff at the neighbourhood dep, mainly a mix of 20- to 40-something Lebanese immigrants and Québécois college and university students, understand piasse and trente sous, though it may be only the latter group that actively uses the coinage.
EmilyG 22:03 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
I’d never heard the expression before (anglophone, though I also speak French. Raised in the West Island. Had French immersion in school. I’ve learned a lot of Québécois expressions, but maybe I just never happened to have heard that one before.)
Phil 22:57 on 2024-02-26 Permalink
Yup, trente sous and piastre is still pretty much in use in many parts of Quebec that I frequent.
Ian 08:53 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
You stillhear “piasses” from the old-timey guys in the SW, oddly enough mostly from old anglos speaking French (in my experience)
MarcG 09:22 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
I’m a language/culture mutt and I’ll say “deux piasses” for sure. Maybe it depends how much of your French was learned and practiced at depanneurs and grocery stores?
Kate 10:46 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
Ian, I haven’t heard “two bits” in a long time.
My father used to refer to a $5 as a fin, haven’t heard that either for ages.
Kevin 10:55 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
Kate
I miss when bank machines used to hand out sawbucks.
dwgs 11:14 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
…in those days nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them…
Kate 12:51 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
…gimme five bees for a quarter, we’d say…
Tee Owe 15:44 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
I also know ‘piasses’ and ‘2 bits’ also 2 dollar bills and a fin, not so sure about sawbucks or bees for a quarter – depends who you hang out with I suppose.
Kate
watch out for when you miss bank machines 🙂
Kate 16:20 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
Tee Owe, dwgs and I were quoting Grandpa Simpson.
Ian 17:16 on 2024-02-27 Permalink
https://youtu.be/yujF8AumiQo?si=fXfP3MAhR_oePyFP
The classics never die.
JaneyB 12:34 on 2024-02-28 Permalink
Fascinating discussion. I know ‘2 bits’ and ‘piasses’ is pretty common but ‘trente sous’ and the others are new to me.