bas bleu

By Annette Rey

I receive a catalog called Bas Bleu and was curious as to what it means (I don’t speak French). What I discovered is appropriate for a website about writing.

It means:

An intellectual woman, a woman having literary or intellectual interests.

So, I picture a woman with pen in hand, writing. Or I see her carrying a stack of books.

For pronunciation, go to https://www.howtopronounce.com/french/bas-bleu/

It also means bluestocking. Bas bleu was a literary salon where the members wore their practical country clothing, their blue worsted stockings, equivalent today to blue jeans.

See: http://blog.basbleu.com/2013/09/04/the-queens-english/

Food for thought.