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what does "ALA" stand for?

B

BigToque

Lifer
From a dailytech article today:

It makes much more sense for Facebook to go this route, developing an Android-based smartphone with deep Facebook integration to run on a single carrier with exclusivity, ala the Apple iPhone.
Click to expand...
 
a la - loosely translated as "just like"; literally translated as "to the" or "at the" from french. there is also an accent over the first "a" which is lower on the left and higher on the right.
 
They forgot a space.

a la

a la mode de

short phrase, a la, is a preposition that represents "in the manner of"

Somehow, us English-speaking folks now say "apple pie a la mode", and yet... all that technically means is "apple pie in the style/manner/fashion"
I'd like my apple pie in the style, thanks. 🙂
 
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destrekor said:
They forgot a space.

a la

a la mode de

short phrase, a la, is a preposition that represents "in the manner of"

Somehow, us English-speaking folks now say "apple pie a la mode [de]", and yet... all that technically means is "apple pie in the manner of"
in the manner of what?!
😉
Click to expand...
actually, "a la mode" means in the prevailing style or fashion. In other words, people like a dollop of ice cream on their pie and that is the way it comes when ordered in the "prevailing style"
 
GasX said:
actually, "a la mode" means in the prevailing style or fashion. In other words, people like a dollop of ice cream on their pie and that is the way it comes when ordered in the "prevailing style"
Click to expand...

edited my post to represent the use of "a la mode" without the "de" ("of" in French). So yes, a la mode means in the style/fashion/manner, of course depends on context.

Still odd. 😉
 
GasX said:
actually, "a la mode" means in the prevailing style or fashion. In other words, people like a dollop of ice cream on their pie and that is the way it comes when ordered in the "prevailing style"
Click to expand...

What if the prevailing style changes, like to ketchup. Seems like a shot in the dark to me. 😀
 
Perknose said:
Apple pie a la mode is LONG RECOGNIZED shorthand in English for apple pie in the mode of having a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of it.

How could you not know that?
Click to expand...

lol

that makes even less sense than the proper french (which is now in that post, you quoted too fast)
 
destrekor said:
They forgot a space.

a la

a la mode de

short phrase, a la, is a preposition that represents "in the manner of"

Somehow, us English-speaking folks now say "apple pie a la mode", and yet... all that technically means is "apple pie in the style/manner/fashion"
I'd like my apple pie in the style, thanks. 🙂
Click to expand...

Possessing style.
As opposed to a la carte, which is strictly from the menu.
 
sandorski said:
What if the prevailing style changes, like to ketchup. Seems like a shot in the dark to me. 😀
Click to expand...

lol exactly!

I wonder if in France, they would want you to say, however the frenchies say it, "apple pie a la mode de america" or "apple pie a la american" or "apple pie a la american mode".

Of course, I don't even know if they eat apple pie. Is it truly an American dish, or did some immigrants from yesteryear bring it with them? :hmm:
 
destrekor said:
lol

that makes even less sense than the proper french (which is now in that post, you quoted too fast)
Click to expand...

Apple pie a la mode is an American idiom adapted from its French roots. It is not French and does not follow, nor does it need to follow, the strict rules of French grammar.

Two questions:

1. Do you understand what an idiom is? By definition idioms and idiomatic expressions stand outside the normal grammatical rules.

2. How many years have you been a putatively sentient being here in the US without knowing exactly what apple pie a la mode meant?
 
sandorski said:
What if the prevailing style changes, like to ketchup. Seems like a shot in the dark to me. 😀
Click to expand...

The phrase is used idiomatically and is universally recognized throughout the length and breadth of this grand republic of ours to mean "with a scoop of ice cream on top."'

Going by the literal meaning of the phrase does not pertain.

If the idiom were somehow to change to mean "apple pie with a splooge of ketchup on top," I guarantee you that within a very short time everyone except perhaps destrekor would know the new meaning.

Such is the speed of new idioms.
 
Perknose said:
Apple pie a la mode is an American idiom adapted from its French roots. It is not French and does not follow, nor does it need to follow, the strict rules of French grammar.

Two questions:

1. Do you understand what an idiom is? By definition idioms and idiomatic expressions stand outside the normal grammatical rules.

2. How many years have you been a putatively sentient being here in the US without knowing exactly what apple pie a la mode meant?
Click to expand...

You have got to be fucking kidding me.

Seriously?

You want to bring that elitist approach to every discussion possible?

I know what idioms are. I've had to qualify idioms to people who miss the point of what the idiom even means, versus dissecting the literal roots. And they make learning other languages more challenging; translating English idioms to Russian, and then even understanding Russian idioms... fun times.

I've known my entire life that a la mode means with ice cream, at least in America and in regards to desserts. Um... apple pie is one of my favorite fall desserts, especially when coupled with ice cream.


How did you even gleam any of that nonsense from what I typed.

And technically, it does indeed translate perfectly, you just have to know what it means to have apple pie served in the popular/trendy style. It's assuming you know what the style is, and while it may technically be an idiom since it does not have English roots and is used without translation, it's not the typical idiom.
 
destrekor said:
lol exactly!

I wonder if in France, they would want you to say, however the frenchies say it, "apple pie a la mode de america" or "apple pie a la american" or "apple pie a la american mode".

Of course, I don't even know if they eat apple pie. Is it truly an American dish, or did some immigrants from yesteryear bring it with them? :hmm:
Click to expand...

Are you asking if they have apples in Europe...? :whiste:
 
Perknose said:
The phrase is used idiomatically and is universally recognized throughout the length and breadth of this grand republic of ours to mean "with a scoop of ice cream on top."'

Going by the literal meaning of the phrase does not pertain.

If the idiom were somehow to change to mean "apple pie with a splooge of ketchup on top," I guarantee you that within a very short time everyone except perhaps destrekor would know the new meaning.

Such is the speed of new idioms.
Click to expand...

Ya, I know. That's the way one would think of it here too, except the term isn't used much. Just don't use it in France. 😉

I suspect it started out used properly and that Ice Cream just happened to be trendy at the time. Then as time went on people simply associated the term with Ice Cream and voila, it just stuck.
 
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sandorski said:
Ya, I know. That's the way one would think of it here too, except the term isn't used much. Just don't use it in France. 😉

I suspect it started out used properly and that Ice Cream just happened to be trendy at the time. Then as time went on people simply associated the term with Ice Cream and voila, it just stuck.
Click to expand...

It probably did begin with French-Americans or French-Canadians, considering there were many here in the early settlement period. And then people who didn't understand French probably got confused but tried to mimic it.
 
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