Provençal expression

Agué un èr de dous èr

Character

Literal translation

to have an air of two airs

Meaning

to have an ambiguous, unreadable expression

Explanation

The expression plays on the repetition of the word èr, meaning air, face, or expression: to have an air of two airs is to wear a look that seems torn between two different expressions without settling clearly on either, which makes it impossible to read with any certainty. This ambiguous face can reflect a genuinely divided mood, unease, inner hesitation, or, on the contrary, a deliberate concealment that keeps others from guessing what the person actually thinks. A now rarer variant, to have an air between two airs, makes this in-between idea even more explicit, stressing the intermediate position, neither clearly one nor clearly the other. The expression belongs to the everyday register of observing others, used to comment, with a touch of puzzlement or suspicion, on a face that will not give up its secret. It shows Provençal's fondness for wordplay built on repeating the same term.

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Other expressions on the same theme

Aquéu de còup !well I never! As peta l'armàri ?to be dressed to the nines Balin-balan/ Balalin-balalanswaying gently, to and fro Bèn/mau encapato show up at the right or wrong moment, depending on luck Bèu camin caminoon a good road, the walking is easy Boulegues pas lou batèu !don't move!