“Bastille taken”: fixed expressions, proverbs, sayings and jokes about the main fortress of France

On July 14, 1789, the Parisian crowd stormed the fortress-prison of the Bastille. This event echoed throughout the world and forever changed the course of history. But along with the revolution, the Bastille gave birth to a whole layer of culture — fixed expressions, proverbs, sayings and countless jokes that still live on. From school anecdotes to philosophical quotes — the image of the Bastille is firmly rooted in the language, becoming a symbol not only of freedom but also of national humor.

“Take the Bastille”: the main phraseologicalism of the revolution

The most famous fixed expression associated with the Bastille is undoubtedly “take the Bastille”. In its literal sense, it means the storming of the fortress on July 14, 1789, but in a metaphorical sense, it symbolizes victory over oppression, the destruction of the old order and the triumph of freedom. As historians write, “its fall symbolized the end of the old world”. This phrase has become a byword for any decisive action against injustice.

We encounter it in literature in the most diverse contexts. For example, in one quote from Russian classics, we read: “Well, if there is a tribune whose voice will indicate the formation — the order of human nature, if there is a common goal — a fortress that needs to be taken, the Bastille that needs to be destroyed. — The Bastille has been taken. The revolution has won”. Here the Bastille acts as a metaphor for any tyranny that the people must destroy.

The name “Bastille” itself (from French bastille — fortification) has become a byword for a prison or place of detention in many languages. For example, in English slang, the word “bastille” was used as a general term for a prison, and its abbreviated form “steel” was a favorite expression among the lower classes. In a metaphorical sense, “sitting in the Bastille” meant being in confinement, and “breaking out of the Bastille” meant gaining freedom.

“The Bastille Day was a waste of time”: a famous phrase from “Love and Pigeons”

Perhaps the most famous phrase about the Bastille in the post-Soviet space came not from history textbooks, but from a movie. In the film by Vladimir Menshov “Love and Pigeons” (1984), the character of Sergey Yursky — Uncle Mitya — pulls out a tear-off calendar and sighs dejectedly: “I didn’t drink, I didn’t drink! Although there is a reason — the Bastille Day was a waste of time!”

This remark has become a real aphorism. Thousands of people mention the French national holiday just like that — as an opportunity to drink that was missed. The phrase “the Bastille Day was a waste of time” has long outgrown the boundaries of the film and turned into a fixed expression, indicating a missed opportunity for a celebration or feast. Sometimes it is quoted ironically, sometimes with a light nostalgia for those times when even historical events became a reason for national humor.

By the way, the tradition of associating the Bastille with drinking is not accidental. After the destruction of the fortress, a plaque with the inscription “Here they dance, and everything will be fine” (ici l’on danse, ah ça ira, ah ça ira!) was installed on its site. So Uncle Mitya, without knowing it, continued the centuries-old tradition — turning the symbol of tyranny into a place for joy.

“Soggy Bastille” and other literary turns

In Russian classics, the Bastille has not gone unnoticed either. In Mikhail Bulgakov’s play “The Cabala of Swantoh”, the hero exclaims: “Take, wet Bastille!” This expression sounds like a curse or a call to judgment — the image of a wet, dark fortress that is ready to swallow another victim. It emphasizes the sinister reputation of the Bastille as a place where people disappeared without trial and investigation.

Interestingly, the expression “Lettre de cachet” — “letter with a seal” has also been preserved in the language. This was a royal decree that allowed a person to be imprisoned in the Bastille without trial, by the personal order of the monarch. The phrase itself has become a symbol of tyranny and lawlessness, and in a metaphorical sense, it denotes any unjust order or decision.

Folk sayings and catchphrases

The Bastille has left not only serious but also ironic traces in popular memory. For example, there is a humorous saying: “Don’t swear off Morداunt and the Bastille” — a hint that anyone can end up in prison, even the most distinguished person. And in the circles of admirers of Alexander Dumas’s work, there is another wit: “Measure seven times, strengthen one Belle-Ile” — a parody on the famous proverb, where instead of “cut” the name of another fortress, associated with the plots of the Musketeers, is used.

Of course, there are many idioms related to the Revolution and July 14 in France. For example, the phrase “Les carottes sont cuites” (“carrots are cooked”) means that the matter is settled and there is no turning back — roughly like after the taking of the Bastille. And the slogan “Liberty. Equality. Fraternity” has become not just a slogan, but a catchphrase that is quoted throughout the world.

School anecdotes: who took the Bastille?

The most popular joke about the Bastille is undoubtedly the classic school anecdote. The teacher asks the student: “Who took the Bastille?” The student honestly replies: “I didn’t take it!” Then follows a chain reaction: the teacher is angry, the vice-principal is puzzled, the principal is desperate. This anecdote lives in dozens of variations. In one of them, Vovochka explains: “I don’t know, I didn’t take it!” and his father adds: “I don’t know, did I take it or not, but I didn’t bring it home”.

Another popular dialogue:

— Why did you get a double, son? — For the Bastille, dad! — What is that? — Such a fortress. — How many degrees? — I don’t know, they took it by storm. — That’s it, a tough one!

These jokes are funny precisely because of their absurdity: the child takes the historical event for theft, and the fortress for an alcoholic beverage. They show how far the people’s imagination can go from historical truth, turning a great event into an occasion for harmless laughter.

There are also such puns in the English-speaking world. For example: “Why does the French Revolution resemble a dry law? Because they both got rid of the Bourbons!” (Bourbon — both a dynasty and whiskey). Or: “Have you heard the joke about Bastille Day? It’s just a riot!” (play on words: riot — riot, but also joy).

Foreign humor: puns and puns

You can find hundreds of jokes about the Bastille on the internet, built on wordplay. Here are a few examples from English-language websites:

• “Why did the baguette go to the party? Because it wanted to “rise” to the occasion” (rise — and rise, and approach).
• “Bastille Day without cheese — it’s not-brie-lievable!” (un-brie-lievable — incredible).
• “What was the favorite dish of the French Revolution? Liberty éclair!” (liberty éclair — a play on words with éclair and liberty).
• “Why do French bakers bake extra bread on Bastille Day? Because they know that everyone will gather to “storm” their bakery!”

And there is also the famous pickup line: “Hey, girl, are you the French Revolution? Because I keep imagining you without pants” (sans-culottes — literally “without pants”, so called the revolutionaries). Of course, this wit is on the edge of bad taste, but it perfectly illustrates how a historical image can turn into an occasion for flirting.

Bastille as a meme: from history to internet culture

Today the image of the Bastille lives not only in anecdotes, but also in internet memes. The phrase “the Bastille Day was a waste of time” has become one of the most quoted movie catchphrases in the Runet. It is used when you want to joke about a missed celebration or a failed party. And in the English-speaking segment of social networks, there are pictures with captions like “Bastille Day: the one holiday where storming something is actually encouraged” (“Bastille Day: the one holiday where storming something is actually encouraged”).

Memes and jokes about the Bastille are not just entertainment. They show how a historical event, separated from us by centuries, continues to live in language and culture. We laugh at the Bastille because it no longer scares us, but inspires — for freedom, for a celebration, and even for a good joke.

Conclusion

The Bastille has long been destroyed, but its image lives in thousands of expressions, proverbs and jokes. From serious phraseologicalisms like “take the Bastille” to absurd school anecdotes, from philosophical quotes by classics to internet memes — the fortress that once symbolized tyranny has today become a symbol of national wit. And perhaps this is the best victory of the revolution: even the darkest symbol can be turned into an occasion for a smile.

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