In the Europe 1 program "Historically yours", Stéphane Bern examines the roots of an expression of everyday life.
Friday, he is interested in the origin of the expression "that makes me a beautiful leg", which means that our interlocutor gives us information which does not arouse in us any interest.
Stéphane Bern offers every day, in
Historically yours
with Matthieu Noël, to discover these expressions that we use on a daily basis without necessarily knowing their origin.
Friday, the host explains the roots of the expression "it makes me a beautiful leg", the origin of which dates back to the 16th century.
When someone gives you a piece of news that does not concern you more than that, or when someone gives you a compliment that does not touch you at all, an expression is still sometimes used today: "It gives me a nice leg".
But why this formula?
To understand this, you have to take an interest in men's fashion in 16th century Europe.
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Indeed, if men's clothing gained momentum during the Renaissance, then in the 16th century, on the contrary, they tightened up, to the point of becoming squarely adherent to the body.
Under the belt, it is the fashion for sticky hosiery, with breeches that sit between the knee and the belt.
On the knees, still in men, we can find lace on stockings called cannons.
"Make a good leg", a man's business
The curve of the tapered legs is then the pledge of a successful seduction.
The men who knew they were elegant thanks to their legs made the roosters, it was said that they made "beautiful legs".
Antoine Furetière, poet from the beginning of the 17th century, to speak of a dress which does not enhance it, says "that will not make my leg any better".
In the 19th century, we came to the expression "to have a good leg", to arrive at the ironic negation "that makes me a beautiful leg".
In humans, the leg was therefore essential.
A criterion of beauty much less essential today.