"colonel a la grecque"

flicg

flicg

Senior Member
English, UK
Does anyone knows what it means to act like a "colonel a la grecque"? I think it might mean someone who takes something by force, or maybe someone who opposes equality. This phrase was used in an English context.
 
    • Didn't a cadre of colonels sieze power in Greece in the late '60s?
    It's probably the closest coup d'etat which British people could identify.
     
    I didn't know that. But the book has plenty of references to things that happened in the 60s, so that sounds very plausible. Thank you!
     
    maxiogee said:
    Didn't a cadre of colonels sieze power in Greece in the late '60s?
    It's probably the closest coup d'etat which British people could identify.
    Click to expand...

    This sounds the most likely explanation, especially as I believe the coup d'etat was actually carried out by colonels, and not more senior members of the military. In addition, Greece had a long and difficult history of involvement of the military in politics, so this is an expression which could be applied to countries which have or are experiencing the same problem.
     
    Main Entry: à la grecque
    Pronunciation: "ä-l&-'grek, "a-l&-
    Function: adjective
    Usage: often capitalized G
    Etymology: French, in the Greek manner
    : served in a sauce made of olive oil, lemon juice, and several seasonings (as fennel, coriander, sage, and thyme)
    pixt.gif
     
    Yeap that definitely refers to our country's latest (and last!) coup d'etat (especially since another one guided by our ex-king was to be carried out by higher-ranking officers but the colonels got there first)
     
    While I agree that it most probably refers to behaving like a Greek colonel, alluding to the coup d'état, I do find the idea of high-ranking officers being served in a sauce made of olive oil, lemon juice, and several seasonings quite intriguing :confused: .
     
    loladamore said:
    While I agree that it most probably refers to behaving like a Greek colonel, alluding to the coup d'état, I do find the idea of high-ranking officers being served in a sauce made of olive oil, lemon juice, and several seasonings quite intriguing :confused: .
    Click to expand...

    That'd be pine colonels. ;)
     
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