\"Bastille Taken\": Idioms, Proverbs, Sayings, and Jokes About France's Main Fortress

On July 14, 1789, the Parisian crowd stormed the fortress-prison of the Bastille. This event echoed around the world and forever changed the course of history. But along with the revolution, the Bastille gave birth to a whole layer of culture — idioms, proverbs, sayings, and countless jokes that are still alive today. From school anecdotes to philosophical quotes — the image of the Bastille has firmly taken root in the language, becoming a symbol not only of freedom but also of the people's humor.

\"Take the Bastille\": The Main Idiomatic Expression of the Revolution

The most famous idiomatic 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.

In literature, we encounter it in the most varied contexts. For example, in one quote from Russian classicism, we read: \"It's good if there is a tribune whose voice will indicate the order — 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 serves as a metaphor for any tyranny that the people must crush.

The name \"Bastille\" itself (from the French bastille — fortress) deserves special attention, which has become a byword in many languages to denote a prison or place of detention. In English slang, for example, 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 Day of the Bastille Take was in Vain\": 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 cinema. In the film \"Love and Pigeons\" (1984) by Vladimir Menshov, the character played by Sergei Yursky — Uncle Mitya — pulls out a torn calendar and sighs despairingly: \"I didn't drink, I didn't drink! Although there is a reason — the day of the Bastille Take was in vain!\"

This remark has become a real aphorism. Thousands of people mention the French national holiday just like that — as an opportunity for a drink that was missed. The phrase \"the day of the Bastille Take was in vain\" has long outgrown the boundaries of the film and turned into a stable expression, denoting a missed opportunity for a celebration or a 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 linking 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, not knowing it, continued a centuries-old tradition — turning the symbol of tyranny into a place for joy.

\"Rotten Bastille\" and Other Literary Expressions

In Russian classics, the Bastille did not go unnoticed either. In Mikhail Bulgakov's play \"The Magician's Cabal,\" the hero exclaims: \"Accept, the rotten Bastille!\" This expression sounds like a curse or a call to judgment — the image of a raw, 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.

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

Folk Sayings and Catchphrases

In the national memory, the Bastille left not only serious but also ironic traces. For example, there is a humorous saying: \"Don't swear off Morдаунт and the Bastille\" — a hint that anyone can end up in prison, even the most distinguished person. And in the circle of admirers of Alexander Dumas, there is another wit: \"Measure seven times, strengthen one Belle-Ile\" — a parody of the well-known proverb, where instead of \"cut\" the name of another fortress, associated with the musketeers' plots, is mentioned.

In France, of course, there are many idioms related to the Revolution and July 14. For example, the phrase \"Les carottes sont cuites\" (\"carrots are cooked\") means that the deal is done and there is no turning back — roughly like after the taking of the Bastille. And the slogan \"Freedom. Equality. Brotherhood\" has become not just a slogan, but a catchphrase quoted around the world.

School Jokes: 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?\" He honestly answers: \"I didn't take it!\" Then — a chain reaction: the teacher in anger, the deputy in disbelief, the director in despair. This joke exists 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, took or not, but didn't bring it home.\"

Another popular dialogue:

— Why did you get a double, son? — For the Bastille, papa! — What is that? — Such a fortress. — How many degrees? — I don't know, they took it by storm. — That's why it's strong, the bastard!

These jokes are funny precisely because of their absurdity: the child takes the historical event for a 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.

In the English-speaking world, there are also its own puns. For example: \"Why does the French Revolution resemble a dry law? Because 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 Double Entendres

On the Internet, you can find hundreds of jokes about the Bastille, built on wordplay. Here are a few examples from English-language sites:

• \"Why did the baguette go to the party? Because it wanted to 'rise' to the occasion\" (rise — both to rise and to 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 — wordplay with éclair and liberty).
• \"Why do French bakers bake extra bread on Bastille Day? Because they know that everyone is going to 'storm' their bakery!\"

And there is the famous pickup line: \"Hey, girl, are you the French Revolution? Because I always imagine you without pants\" (sans-culottes — literally \"without pants,\" the term used for revolutionaries). Of course, the wit is on the edge of bad taste, but it perfectly illustrates how an historical image can become 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 day of the Bastille Take was in vain\" has become one of the most quoted cinematic aphorisms in the Runet. It is used when wanting 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 the language and culture. We laugh at the Bastille because it no longer scares us, but inspires — to freedom, to a celebration, and even to a good joke.

Conclusion

The Bastille has long been destroyed, but its image lives in thousands of expressions, proverbs, and jokes. From serious phraseological expressions like \"take the Bastille\" to absurd school anecdotes, from philosophical quotes of classics to internet memes — the fortress that once symbolized tyranny has today become a symbol of the people's 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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