List of Names and Terms of Address Used For Charles de Gaulle - Historical Names

Historical Names

• le colonel Motors: This is how de Gaulle was called by jokers in the French military in the 1930s. De Gaulle's proposals that the French army should emphasize the use of tanks and armored vehicles were scorned by the high command. Consequently de Gaulle was refused promotions to the rank of general, and remained a colonel until the fall of France in June 1940, when his theories sadly proved right. This nickname of colonel Motors is a play on the General Motors Corporation name that translates as "The americans have the general Motors, we French must settle for the colonel Motors". In addition, the use of the English word "motor" was made on purpose to caricature de Gaulle as a reckless partisan of tanks because in French, English words had, and still have, a feeling of modernity, sometimes to the point of being too recklessly new.
• Gaulle: This is how the military leaders of Vichy France called de Gaulle. They were scornful of a two-star general who pretended to be the incarnation of France in London. They took away the apparently aristocratic particle "de" (see French names) to belittle de Gaulle. Gaulle is also homophonic with the French word "gaule", the long pole that is used to harvest walnuts. This French word can also be understood in slang as meaning "dumb".
• le grand Charles: This was used in political caricatures, referring to the tall height of de Gaulle (1m94 – 6'4"). Although used by caricaturists, there is often a friendly feeling to it, and it was used as the title for a 2006 tv-drama of his life. Nowadays, this phrase can still be heard sometimes, when people in casual conversation refer to de Gaulle, but with a little scornful tone in the voice (often it is pronounced with the voice trailing on "Charles").
• mon grand: Used in some famous satirical cartoons. A very famous one shows the Eiffel Tower welcoming de Gaulle during the Liberation of Paris, bending to embrace him, and calling him mon grand. Other cartoons in the 1960s show Marianne, the personification of France, casually conversing with de Gaulle, and calling him mon grand. In French, mon grand is the way a mother tenderly calls her son.
• la grande Zohra: This is a derogatory expression that was used by the Europeans living in French Algeria and the people in favor of French Algeria. After de Gaulle opted for the independence of Algeria, he became the subject of much hatred among all the people who favored a French Algeria. "Zohra" is reportedly the way North African Arabs colloquially call the camel. Often this expression is associated in the mind with a drawing of de Gaulle dressed as an Arab woman, complete with earrings and veil, with only his big nose protruding from the veil. Perhaps there was the idea that de Gaulle was "prostituting" himself to the pro-independence Algerian rebellion. The use of the feminine, instead of the masculine, also has a diminutive effect in French. Today, the expression is still heard sometimes among the pied-noir community.
• Viper: a reference to the captain Mike "Viper" Metcalf in Top Gun, used by French antimilitarists in the late 80's. The use of this reference may be seen as a paradox, as Charles de Gaulle was not really pro American. Anyway, the peremptory behaviour of the captain in the movie suits very well to the general, according to his detractors.
• Charlot: a reference to Charlie Chaplin character, used by opponents.
• Big Moustache: a reference to the character of the British squadron leader in the French movie La Grande Vadrouille, used by young Frenchmen nowadays. This evokes the glorious British past of the general, and, of course, his world-known moustache.
• le Connétable: He acquired this name when he was a prisoner of war in Germany during the Great War. It had come about because of the talks which he gave to fellow prisoners on the progress of the conflict. These were delivered with such patriotic ardour and confidence in victory that they called him by the title which had been given to the commander-in-chief of the French army during the monarchy.
• la grande asperge:The great asparagus. De Gaulle spent four years studying and training at the elite military academy, Saint-Cyr. While there, and because of his height, high forehead, and nose, he acquired the nicknames of "the great asparagus".
• Cyrano: This nickname derives from his large nose and refers to Cyrano de Bergerac.