derrière les fagots

[syrita]

Has anyone heard of this saying before. It is used to decribe an old film from the thirties or forties?

Thanks

S

I only knew fagot to mean bundle?

 

[Beun]

'de derrière les fagots' roughly means unexpected, unusual
it's kind of old-fashioned but not so much, I'm sure I still say it sometimes

 

[Kutchiloo]

Yes, it means from the olden days.
It's usually used for a wine, as in well preserved, when a wine used to be hidden behind the stack of wood for the winter

 

[Isabelle22]

A fagot is an bundle of branches tied with a string. They used to be kept in a corner of a barn or shed, and people used to hide things (wine, valuables, etc) behind them often for a long time, and forget about them. It is a way of saying that this film is very good, but has been forgotten for a long time and recently re-discovered. I suppose in English, the equivalent would be "a treasure trove".

 

[Beun]

Yes, it means from the olden days.

I can't say I agree with that. My translation is not the best but in my opinion it has nothing to do with old age. I cannot seem to come up with an example though...

 

[Beun]

Well if you're joining forces against me, I might be wrong...

 

[Jamzy]

For me "de derrière les fagots" means: it's tasty, very well-done...
But I agree with Beun, it could also mean something unexpected, unusual.

Je vous ai cuisiné un plat de derrière les fagots.
Je vous ai préparé une surprise de derrière les fagots.

 

[Beun]

well thank you Jamzy for the examples, that's exactly what I had in mind. I guess it's a complicated expression